


We Are Not Who We Seem

by korondaruma



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe, Equalist!Asami, F/F, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2016-03-21
Packaged: 2018-03-16 11:26:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 51,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3486491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/korondaruma/pseuds/korondaruma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Equalist!Asami AU] Growing up with a deep hatred for benders, Asami was raised in an Equalist environment. Using her fortunate run in with the famous firebender, she plans to get close to the Fire Ferrets; but more specifically, Korra.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is another attempt at Korrasami that I hope you'll enjoy. Equalist!Asami has been on my mind a lot recently and I wanted to add another story to that category. This will be a long ride with a bunch of angst, future fluff and, most likely, eventual smut.

_Everything was running smoothly. Infiltrate the Triple Threat Triad's headquarters, capture Lightning Bolt Zolt, make a swift and silent escape. Step by step, each task went through without a hitch; that was, until the Avatar arrived. The chi blockers didn't know who tipped the Avatar off and had to improvise their plan to accommodate._

_Trailing behind the van on their motorbikes, six chi blockers were assigned as back up to guard the cargo. The extra hands were usually an unnecessary precaution. Typically, their only purpose was to scare away the few daring thugs. Each of the chosen blockers was skilled in several martial arts and held high rankings from their years of training. It was easy to say that the non-benders were more than capable of holding their own with one-on-one combat.  Even the avatar wouldn't stand a chance. After all, the Avatar without bending was just another common Joe. As long as they could get in a few precise hits, the mighty bender was just like one of them._

_The silence of the night was swallowed by the revving of engines as chi blockers expertly dodged bursts of heat. Never missing a beat, they steered their motorcycles to avoid any rockbent pavement. They were quick to realize their disadvantage as long as their opponents rode that mighty beast so they made a quick decision to dispose of it. Tripping it by tying its legs together, the bending-happy passengers were flung high off of its back._

Now these are odds I like, _a particular chi blocker found herself thinking. With a couple of backflips, two guards found themselves taking on the benders while the rest of the crew went to deliver the package. Each able body leapt over a blazing fists with ease and diverted any flames that came close to their bodies. Every throw directed at either of them was promptly deflected._

There! _the female blocker finally found an opening against the Avatar. With perfectly aimed jabs she attacked major pressure points. It became apparent that the few hits weren't going to be enough. The powerful bender still had enough access to her chi to show any affects. It was clear that the Water Tribe native was not going to go down without a good fight._

_It has been a while since the blocker had an actual challenge and caught herself grinning under her mask. Sweat built up as her body burned through her energy than at any of her practices. Her breathing started to grow heavy and found herself enjoying the tango for two. Each hit was blocked with her arm, not letting her opponent get in a proper punch.  Each heavy blow chipped away at her stamina and soon the Equalist found that she barely had enough time to remember to breathe. Minutes passed by as waited for the perfect opening. When the opportunity finally presented itself, she threw body weight behind a powerful kick.  With a hard shove to the chest, the Avatar collapsed onto her back with a loud thud._

_Without a doubt, Amon would be pleased if the Avatar were to be delivered to him. Bolas in tow, both chi blockers swung their weapons around their heads, ready to catch their prey. With each step, they saw victory inching closer and closer._

_"ROARRRR" the polar bear dog threatened with sharp teeth bared. The two offenders were forced back by the powerful beast's aggression, left with no choice but to retreat. Throwing a smoke bomb, the two sprung back onto their bikes, deserting the two limp bodies on the pavement._

_Once the masked pair was safe back at headquarters, they removed their disguises. Long, dark locks, finally freed from the headgear, flowed down the non-bender's back. Green eyes were worn and she stretched her sore body before she threw herself into the nearest seat. Craning her neck, she held that position until she heard a few satisfactory pops. Rubbing at her temples, Asami let out a heavy sigh._

_"I **hate** animals."_

* * *

Zooming down through the roads and trying her best to abide by the laws, Asami gripped at the handles of her moped. Luckily, she was an expert and experienced driver. The teen was running a bit behind in her schedule since she had been caught up making adjustments to her car.  By the time that she had noticed the time, she had to rush out of the door. And since she knew that their leader didn't tolerate tardiness, she had to nothing short than teleport there. Recently assigned to the committee in charge of their latest schemes, Asami was already skating on thin ice.  Not being able to stop the Avatar on the night of the Triple Threat Triad's kidnapping was a huge smudge on her record.  On top of that, the Avatar had made another loud and disrupting appearance at their bending purification rally.

The Avatar's latest run in with the Equalists had put a rather large strain on their plans. Now that their underground operations were unearthed, they needed to react, and quickly. The Equalists were a well planned organization that went through great lengths to make sure everything ran as smoothly as possible. Their revolution had been in the rising for years but were only able to gather a substantial following in the last several months. Unfortunately, with more people meant less secrecy. They knew sooner or later the press would catch onto their operation and news of the revolution would spread like wildfire. The law enforcement right behind.

Thoughts of the Equalist revolution occupied Asami's mind as she maneuvered through traffic. Sometime between mapping out the afternoon rush hour and calculating the number of stoplights, she was completely blindsided when a man stepped out into the road. With a sharp left, she slowed the vehicle down, hopefully enough to prevent fatal injury.

Asami dashed to the felled pedestrian's side in attempts to help him up when she got a clearer look at who was in front of her. He wasn't quite a man as so much as a teen. She knew that he couldn't have been much older than she was and her mind worked in overdrive to formulate a plan.  She needed to find the easiest way to get out of the predicament. Releasing her hair with a seductive wave, she turned on the charm.

"Oh, no. I'm so sorry, I didn't see you," Asami said in the sweetest voice she could muster.

 _Make extra physical contact_ , she told herself as she guided the boy to his feet. His body was well built and she could feel well-defined muscles through his jacket. He was definitely sturdy if he could take a hit like that and was still able to stand. When the boy stood straight, he was just a bit taller than Asami but had broad shoulders.  He was without a doubt physically attractive. Though, his clothes and hair did give off a vibe of "I survived the night in a bush."

It took a few moments, but Asami was finally able to place where she had seen these distinct, sharp eyebrows before. Flashes of the underdog pro-bending team came to her mind and she recognized his was the face of the captain of the Fire Ferrets.

With the turn of events, it turned out that running late had been a blessing in disguise. The Equalists had been looking for a way to infiltrate the pro-bending arena for months but couldn't find a way.  Most pro-benders would never knowingly associate with one of their kind. To be fair though, it wasn't as if they were dying to be besties with a probender either.

"Let me make it up to you, somehow," Asami offered. She knew that she needed to create an opportunity to interact with him more. She needed to devise a plan get closer to this stranger.

* * *

 It wasn't anything new for Asami to throw her money and her hair around to impress people. It had yet to fail her and results have never been less than satisfactory. The gestures were nothing more than flaunting what she had and she was more than willing to do so. From experience, it was the easiest and quickest way to get anything done around men. Lusting for power, money, fame, and women, men have always been easy for the heiress to figure out . Keeping those key points in mind, Asami already started brewing a plan. With a slick new suit, a fancy dinner, and a light touch here and there, the firebender wouldn't stand a chance. Asami was confident that in no time, he would be all hers.

"I mean, it sucks that we finally get a new, able waterbender and we all to pull out because of something so stupid," Mako continued his rant. Asami had to fight against the urge to roll her eyes.

Dinner at her favorite date spot seemed simple enough to impress the firebender but since she had expressed interest in pro-bending, he found it to be a safe topic to talk about. Asami was forced to feign interest throughout dinner but his incessant ramblings about the games were chipping away at the facade. "She's nothing spectacular, but she brings a whole new element to our game. I mean that literally!"

Asami gave a polite chuckle at Mako's attempt to be funny and listened in silence. "You know, you'd think that the Avatar would be too busy to deal with something like probending.  I mean, there are Equalists running around town destroying peace."

A pale hand gripped her cup and her knuckles whitened. "The Avatar?" Asami asked; her pristine mask was cracking with interest. This boy runs around with the Avatar?

"You haven't heard? Korra is the Avatar. She came to Republic City a few weeks ago and agreed to help us out. We really lucked out there." 

"How does she find time to play for you guys?" Asami dug deeper. "Shouldn't she be worried about that revolution that masked man has been talking about?"

"She-" Mako thought for a moment, "she doesn't seem to be too bothered, now that I think about it. Whenever we ask her, she either blows it off or changes the subject. Maybe she's not going to get involved in ridiculous problems like that."

"Ridiculous? The uprising doesn't scare you?" Asami asked while wondering what this firebender be without his bending. The boy would be nothing more than a vagabond begging for his next meal on the streets. Benders had it lucky; they didn't have to work hard for to make a living. They could earn money from just flaunting their bending around an arena or take it by force as the Triad did. Benders knew nothing of being suppressed. They were born with an unfair advantage at life. They were born privileged.

"I mean, yeah, of course," Mako amended with his pointed brows knitting together. "I couldn't imagine not being able to bend. It's really the only thing that Bolin and I have going for us.  But, if Korra and the council aren't concerned, there isn't anything we can do about it" he continued with a shrug. Although the rally had ignited a small flame of fear within him but he had more important things to be worried about at the moment. 

"So, tell me about the Avatar. Is she really all what she's cracked up to be? You know, the master of all four elements, protector of the people?" Asami changed the subject to something less sensitive and more informative. A revelation dawned on the heiress; this was the kid that had tried to stop them from kidnapping the Triple Threat Triads. This was the boy that had fought along side the Avatar the night of the kidnappings.

"Korra? Nah, she's just another hot headed teen if you ask me." Mako's voice was tinged with just the slightest of irritation. "She's reckless and careless and doesn't think before acting. She's as cocky and proud as she could be, really."

Warm laughter filled the air as Asami tried to picture the image that Mako was painting. There had been news about the Avatar's arrival earlier that week but the only picture of the girl that she had seen was one of an awkward looking girl at a press conference. "Are we talking about the same person? From the press conference, I gathered her as more of the shy type."

"Oh, no. Believe me, she's anything but," Mako continued to express, "She's brash, overly self-confident, I just-" he said as he let out a light laugh. Despite his berating words, there was a hint of mirth in his voice. "I just want to knock her down a peg or two to show her some humility. Don't get me wrong, she's good, I mean like, really good. She knows her stuff inside and out, but she needs to get off her high horse."

Asami knew of a move or two that could bring her down, quite literally in fact. A quick jab to her arm and she'd be rendered without waterbending. A swipe and a hit would knock her off her feet and goodbye earthbending. A perfectly placed attack to her neck and she would be out like a baby. Asami smiled as she envisioned different scenarios as she looped her arm within Mako's. Leaning her head against his bicep, she smiled. "I'm sure she's not as bad as you make her sound." 

* * *

"Absolutely not," Hiroshi's stern voice echoed.  Despite the loud machinery in the satomobile factory, he was still heard across the room. A few workers attending the assembly line turned their head but it was still loud enough to drown out most of the personal conversation.

Asami was not surprised to hear his forbidding disapproval. Even though they were the wealthiest family in a 100 mile radius, 30 thousand yuans was still a lot of money to just throw away.  Not to mention, the money would be going to support the one thing they stood against. Bending. 

"Think about it, Dad," Asami reasoned, trying to convince him to cover the ante for the championship in form of a sponsorship. "This is our chance. If we pass this up, we'd be passing up unlimited access to the team and the arena."

Hiroshi stroked at his mustache as he took a second to think. Resting her left hand on her hip, Asami betrayed her calm demeanor with a grunt of impatience. Future Industries had more than enough cash to burn and she saw no problem. Taking this opportunity would be yet another a way for the Sato family to prove their alliance to the movement.

"I just don't like you gallivanting around the city with-"

"I don't actually care about him." Asami cut her father off before he could say another word. Just the thought of being with a bender, let alone a firebender, disgusted her beyond belief. They were the enemy; all benders were. They always were and always will be. They used their unfair advantage to take whatever they wanted, never thinking twice of who got hurt in the process. "You will never have to worry about that."

Hiroshi's jaw tightened as he considered his daughter's plan. Not once had she ever let him down and she always thought things through to the end. It was clear that she had a plan and that she had her mind set on going through with it.

"Don't make me regret this, Asami. If their new waterbender is really the Avatar, you're going to have to keep your guard up. Don't let her get into your head, alright?"

With a small hug, Asami kissed her father on the cheek. "Don't worry, Dad. I got this."

* * *

Emerald eyes concentrated on her lips as she painted them with deep crimson lipstick. With the help of some concealer, Asami covered up the fading bruises that she still sported on her arm. Although they seemed to be healing nicely, she was sure that wouldn't have been able to get to the end of night without a few concerned glances. Asami stretched her back and took a final glace over her makeup to make sure everything was perfect. She smoothed a comb through her locks and fluffed her curls before she was finally satisfied. She would be meeting the legendary Avatar Korra face-to-face at last.

The clicking of her heels against the marble floor was lost in the loud chatter around the gala.  Even the band struggled to play over the hundreds of voices celebrating the Avatar. Slender fingers held on to Mako's elbow as the couple walked through the room with an air of supremacy. The heiress was accustomed to being an accessory to men at formal events like this.  Status was everything in her world. But, despite the athlete's "humble" background, the firebender walked through the room with pretension. Asami swallowed her slight disgust and dismissed it.

Flowing from crowd to crowd, Asami greeted her father's associates with poise and grace. It was odd to introduce Mako as her boyfriend but it seemed to please everyone, especially the pro-bender. The heiress kept her calm, collected disposition through it all, but when she finally caught a glimpse of the esteemed guest of honor, she faltered.

Although, technically, Asami has seen the Avatar face-to-face once before, this was the first time she got a clear look at the girl.  She looked nothing of the one she saw in the papers. In person, she looked much smaller and younger than she had imagined. The fitted dark blue dress loudly displayed her Water Tribe roots while her long dark hair was pulled into a half bun. She looked quite elegant as she stood next to Councilman Tarrlok.  The glint in her eyes caught her attention but the young girl looked somewhat worried with her brows knitted. Asami couldn't help but take a keen interest in what she and her father were discussing.

"Hey- wait," Mako interjected. His conversation with the Bolin was cut short when Asami started tugging him away.

"Introduce me to the Avatar, sweetie," Asami cooed with her voice as sweet as honey.  She gripped his arm eagerly and walked him towards the distressed looking bender. Something about this girl intrigued her.

"Hey, Korra," Mako greeted with a smile.  The power couple of the night stood at Hiroshi's side and Korra's eyes narrowed at them and she crossed her arms.  Asami could read the girls emotions like a children's book. With her sudden grumpy disposition along with her pout, Asami was all too familiar the expression that the Avatar wore. Korra was jealous. The Avatar, 'master of all four elements,' 'the bringer of peace,' was jealous of a simple non-bender like herself. Asami could not suppress a smile.

Asami grew up in a world where the Avatar was worshipped by everyone. Ever since Avatar Aang saved the world and created Republic City, he was known as a legendary hero.  His name forever became synonymous with peace. It was truly a sad day for the peoples around the world when he died but the grieving process was cut short once the news of the new Avatar was born. Every child growing up knew of the stories and myths that surrounded the spiritual being. As kid herself, even Asami was curious about the world she longed to but could never join. Although benders and non-benders have lived along side-by-side in peace, the two groups saw the world from completely different standpoints. It was easy to say that Asami's and Korra's worlds would never overlap.  Only as opponents would they ever cross.

The tiny non-bender spent most of her childhood as a nobody. Hers was a plain face that blended with the rest of society but her world was completely flipped after the Sato family came into money. And although many things changed for the better, there were many unwanted changes as well. After that pivotal point in her life, the seven-year old was trained to wear a perfect, painted smile. She was forced to flawlessly hide any 'inappropriate' emotions. She was to become the perfect representative of a future industry that commanded respect.

To all, the Avatar was one born to be respected and worshipped. At least, that was Asami's impression. Strangely, Korra was nothing like the almighty being she had fantasized. Standing in front of her was just an average teenager. It had been far too long since she had seen such open and pure expressions on anyone and it was a bit unsettling. If she were to be completely honest, she found it quite refreshing.

True to her emotions, Korra didn't hold back on expressing her discomfort around Asami.  Taking the cue, the strategist made a move to release Mako's arm but was mindful to stay close as to not give warning. She was confused when the small furrow in Korra's brow refused straighten out even after her attempts. Out of ideas, she could only conclude that it had to do with what Tarrlok was discussing with her earlier. Asami took a mental note to dig into that matter later.  Just as she was about to open her mouth, the Avatar was called away for her duties.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that the gala had all been a set up by the Water Tribe councilman. The upper class and powerful always manipulated others like that and Asami to fight down a fierce frown for the public. Proud of his trickery, the councilman boasted that The Avatar was officially going to be on his task force.  There would be a crack down on all Equalist campaigns and she knew the rebellion would have to be carried out with great precaution. As each reporter bombarded her with numerous questions, a trained ear paid close attention to the bender's responses. She was going to have to stay close to keep tabs on her.

* * *

"You know, thought you'd be happy that the Fire Ferrets would get to play in the tournament," an elegant voice broke through the spider cricket's serenade. Curious sapphires glance up from the ground to be matched with emeralds. 

"Oh, you," Korra brushed off with a scoff. Being confronted by her crush's girlfriend was not what she needed at the moment, especially not after being tricked into joining Tarrlok's task force.

"Don't be sound so pleased to see me," Asami laughed as she took a seat next to the brooding girl on the stone bench. Asami kept her arms close to her body in attempts to keep warm in the chilly night. It amazed her how the other girl didn't seem to be fazed in the slightest. She guessed growing up in the Southern Water Tribe had its advantages. "What are you doing out here all alone? I'd assume that you'd be in there celebrating. This whole thing was held in your honor, you know."

"Don't you have some elbows to rub or something?" Korra grunted in irritation, purposely trying to ruffle Asami's feathers and get her off her back.

"Nah," Asami leaned back and slouched her shoulders. Loosing up her posture, she wanted to appear more open and relaxed to the girl.

She needed to earn her trust.  She needed to become someone that the Avatar could confide in and she knew that it wouldn't happen if she came off as an uptight priss.

"These parties get tiring after a while. Pretending to be interested in the officials and their improbable plans isn't exactly something that I would label as 'enjoyable'."

Asami was greeted with silence and she didn't let it bother her. It wasn't like she expected to become best friends right off the bat. "Korra," she called as she turned her gaze from the sky to the other girl's face. "Try not to worry too much about the press. They don't get any more pleasant, but I promise you do get used to them."

Painted lips restrained a grin as Korra's eyebrows arched with interest. Her shoulders fell and she relaxed out of her uptight posture. Bingo. Hook, line, and sinker.

"There you are!" Mako called out from the gazebo. Just as Korra was going open her mouth, she shut it and all the walls around her flew back up. The younger girl's foul mood returned with the drop of a hat

The raven-haired heiress had to swallow a sigh as she got up from her spot. Walking up to her boyfriend, she greeted him with a small peck on the lips. She wanted to laugh at how Korra made no attempts to hide her disgust as her face contorted.

"You guys, I'm sitting right here. Couldn't you wait until you were alone?"

"Sorry," Asami apologized with slight blush and put her palm to the firebender's solid chest. Strong arms pulled her closer into his body and she leaned her head against him.

"We should be heading home soon," Mako turned Asami around in his arms and kissed her forehead once more for good measure. It seemed as if he was flaunting their relationship off in front of the other girl to get a rise out of her. It irked the both of them.

"We'll talk some other time, alright Korra?" Asami asked as she moved her hand to the girl's bare shoulder.

The warmth that she radiated sent an odd feeling down her spine and Asami wondered if it had affected the seated girl just as bizarrely. The muscles in Korra's shoulder stiffened under her touch. For one reason or another, Asami found herself not being able to pull away.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever," Korra dismissed with a roll of her eyes. With a sharp yank, she pulled shoulder out from under the foreign touch and stood from her spot. Pushing past the couple, she made an obvious effort to make a show and stomped away to leave the two with their privacy.

"Your dad's waiting for you at the entrance," Mako smiled. His unconcerned reaction made it seem as if he were unperturbed by the encounter. It took an exceptional amount of effort for Asami to match his reaction.

A bit confused, Asami took his hand and let Mako lead the way.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, you actually read this? Thank you so much! I know you might think Asami may be a bit OOC, but you gotta keep in mind that this is an AU. This chapter was unbetaed but I've been reading though it so many times that I just wanted to get this out for now. Let me know if you catch anything and I'll comb over it again and make amendments. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this and that it wasn't too long for the first chapter. Let me know what you think in a review and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! Thanks a billion!


	2. Chapter 2

Korra woke with a start.  Long bangs clung to her damp forehead and wide eyes frantically darted around the room, searching the shadows for any immediate threat. The high-pitched ringing in her ears made it hard to hear anything but her own labored breathing. The terrified girl clutched to her sheet in attempts to calm herself. The spinning room slowed to a stop and the dead silence settled back in.  The Avatar’s faithful companion rested her large muzzle on the bed and gave the shaken girl a small nudge in comfort.  Korra took a few moments to calm down before she rested her upper body against soft fur and let tears roll down her face. 

Since witnessing Amon’s threat first hand, Korra hadn’t been able to sleep for weeks.  Bending was all that she had seeing that the political and spiritual aspects weren't going so well. The haunting idea of losing the only thing that she could do ate at her core. Taking her bending would more or less be taking her identity.

It was not often that Korra could go back to sleep after an episode.  To clear her mind, she decided to take a stroll around Air Temple Island. Her large, trusty sidekick didn’t feel comfortable leaving her master’s side so Naga trailed a few paces behind.  The massive beast tried her best to appear nonexistent but it was close to impossible for polar bears to go without notice. Not finding any solace, Korra dismissed the idea of being able to find a place to meditate.

Keeping their easy pace, the two pals stopped their stroll when they reached a small, secluded beach.  Naga  barked at the waves crashing at the shore with excitement and a small smile started to spread across Korra’s face.  Pulling a string of water out of the ocean, the waterbender started to wave her arms around. Naga jumped back and forth, her tail wagging eagerly, before charging full speed.  Loud growls and barks blended with the sounds of the ocean as the oversized pup snapped at the water in desperate attempts to catch it.   In no time, Naga was soaked to the bone. 

When the pooch felt that Korra was being unfair after failing to catch the tendril countless times, she decided to change the rules.Naga charged straight at the cheater at full force and Korra had to dig her heels into the sand as not to fall over. Try as she might, her resistance was naught once the massive paws pushed her back.  At the blink of an eye she found herself on her back being barraged with puppy kisses. 

“Naga, okay, you win girl.  Down.” Korra laughed.

Even though the companion most definitely knew the command, she refused to give up.  Naga refused to lose and plopped her heavy frame on the significantly smaller girl . Tugging at floppy ears and gripping at fur was in vein, Korra knew that she would only be freed once she completely surrendered.  “I’m sorry! I give, I give.”

“Look, girl.” Korra motioned to the horizon with her chin. She was still pinned under the friendly giant but luckily the white fluff didn’t block her view of the sun peeking up from just above the water.  The thumping of Naga’s tail in the sand was keeping in time with the rolling of the waves in a slow beat.  The teen wrapped her arms around her best friend’s neck with a smile. 

Nuzzling against her master’s neck, the polar bear dog seemed quite pleased with herself.  Even if it was just for a short moment, she was able to pull Korra away from her haunting thoughts.

* * *

As the weeks passed by, Asami found herself spending more time with her new beau and his friends.  Much of her free time was lost to the trio and she found herself assimilating well into the Krew. More often than not, they found themselves huddled around a radio in the brothers’ small apartment on a lazy afternoon.  Asami would lean into Mako’s side, prompting him to wrap a protective arm around her. The couple would sit across of Korra and Bolin as the two relaxed on the ground. 

Majority of the time the four usually had incident-free get-togethers, but the calm didn't last long.  Once in a while one of the three benders would claim their natural element to be superior to the others', escalading into an impromptu sparring match.  As a non-bender, Asami spent most of her time on the sidelines. She was not one to complain, though. She took advantage of the opportunity, making mental notes for future reference.

The gym underneath their residence was cluttered with junk.  The Fire Ferrets were allowed partial access but only because the ground threatened to cave in with each misplaced step.  The first time Asami had stepped into the room, she didn’t know what to do with herself.  Dust covered every inch of the room and she couldn’t go three seconds without sneezing. With each movement of the benders, filth filled the air and made it more and more difficult to breathe.

“How about we take this to my place?” Asami offered as she covered her mouth.

It had been a while since she watched these sparring matches and she had developed a small cough from being in the room too much.  It wasn't exactly pleasant.

“We have a small training room in the back that I’m sure that no one would mind if you guys used.”

A smile lit up the boys’ faces but a frown overtook Korra’s.  It was blatant that she wasn’t  keen at the idea of spending more time with her. 

“Really? Your dad won’t mind?” Mako asked.  He walked to  his girlfriend's side and wrapped her up in his arms.  Sweat dripped down his face and his wife-beater shirt clung to his body, accentuating his solid pectorals.

Asami removed his helmet and wrapped her hands around his neck.  The raven haired beauty couldn’t help but smile has his genuine happiness and pecked his lips.

“He probably wouldn’t even notice,” Asami shrugged and pulled the solid body closer. Asami had, unfortunately, gotten accustomed to the body odors and fluids that came with the practices.

* * *

Since it was a nice day out, the team had decided to move to garden in Asami's manor. The non-bender sat on the bench off to the side and watched as the three athletes entered their own little world. Once in the zone, nothing could distract the athletes.  Asami used the opportunity to analyze each of their movements.  

Mako was quicker on his feet than the other two players.  His arms were kept close to his face, on guard. She had seen similar fighting stances in boxing.  Adapting it to his bending style, Mako hopped from foot to foot and used the quick changing poses to his advantage.  This lithe body would slide with ease, dodging anything thrown at him. With a quick jab, he would counter with a small burst of fire.  Although his attacks were never particularly powerful, they were bountiful.  His constant onslaught would either catch his opponents off guard or wear them down. It was obvious that Mako’s clearest advantage was his speed.

Contrary to his brother, Bolin’s movements were on the slower but hardier side. Throwing strong, solid jabs, heavy earthen disks flew from a pile stacked at his side.  Each hit packed a powerful punch, leaving no desire to ever want to be on the receiving end of one of those.  The young boy’s face easy to read.  His expressions were always painted visibly across his face, even as he played.  With each confident throw he wore a cocky grin, but every time a flame or spurt of water got close, panic would take over. From her observations, Asami deduced that he was not only powerful, but resourceful as well.  By using the disks to block larger attacks, Bolin often utilized his strength over his speed. The earthbender hand a bulkier build allowing him to take hits without too much knockback, but each hit chipped away at him.

Out of the three, Korra’s practice was the most educational to watch. She was the most spontaneous and the least consistent.  Depending on her opponent, she would adapt her style to match them.  And although the Avatar was only allowed to bend water, her honed training skills in each element was evident in her movement.

Smooth and fluid, each step she took was planned out.  Her body would bend and flow with the curve of the wave of water as she went on offense.  Manipulating the tendril, she blocked fast bursts of heat.  The power of Mako's blows would usually dissolve her weapon but, without missing a beat, Korra would recover. When taking the defense, she wasn’t as quick as Mako but she was able to evade the attacks thrown her way. She made sure to not over exaggerate her movements, giving only the required amount of leeway to dodge the elements as they came at her.  When Bolin would come at her, she planted her feet on the ground in an earthbending stance. Manipulating the water, Korra would create a shield when she wasn’t quick enough to dodge solid rock. Never one to lose a beat, she was always back to her fluid waterbending style. 

It bothered Asami that Korra was so unpredictable.  It was easy to tell when Mako would feint right or jab with his left. She could imagine how she would handle herself against Bolin, finding the opportunities where he would leave himself open.  It was only after taking a step back and seeing the bender from afar, she could see why she was so hard to take down.  Korra was definitely a fast learner and was an expert at adapting to different situations.  Asami may have underestimated the girl. 

“Boys, why don’t you take a break,” a familiar voice echoed through the garden.

Their sponsor and Asami's father, Hiroshi Sato, walked toward them with a clear look of annoyance on his face.  Asami wasn't one to miss that look irritation.  Before inviting the team over, she hadn’t asked for permission.  She had figured that since they’ve been over on several occasions that they had been allowed to come and go.  She was unquestionably mistaken.

“How about I show you the latest Satomobile model I’ve been working on?” Hiroshi asked as she turned his gaze from his daughter to the athletes.

The three looked at each other in bewilderment.  Asami stood from her spot, switched from analyzing mode back to reality. Mako and Bolin’s faces lit up at the idea and gave each other a zealous high five but Korra’s shoulders dropped.

Since Korra had purposely thrown herself into meditation in order to avoid Tarrlok, she hadn’t had many opportunities to leave Air Temple Island. When she had finally got the whole day away, she was eager to let off steam.  The Avatar was just about to open her mouth to protest when Asami had cut her off.

“Sweetie, why don’t you and Bolin hit the showers and follow my dad back to the factory,” Asami suggested to Mako.  Her voice was soft yet left no room for protest.  She leaned up to pecked his lips and gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. “Korra and I will find something else to do.”

With nothing in common and an unspoken rivalry for Mako’s attention, it was no secret why the Avatar wasn’t particularly jumping at the offer. Mako was reluctant to move away but once Bolin and pulled him from Asami’s embrace and into a headlock, he was left with no other choice. 

“You sure you two will be okay?” he asked, looking over his should as he was being dragged away.

Korra begged him with her eyes not to leave her alone but it was eclipsed by Asami’s award-winning smile.  “We’ll be fine.  I promise we won’t kill each other.”

“Speak for yourself,” Korra muttered under her breath but everyone had heard it. Feigning ignorance, Asami ignored the words and fearlessly took a step closer to the bender.

“Besides,” Bolin interjected and tightened his grip around his brother’s neck, “a tour of the Satomobile factory? How could we possibly say no?”

Korra rolled her eyes.  She refused to go back to Air Temple Island, so, with great hesitance, she decided to kill time at the manor.  Maybe after the boys were done geeking out  they’d come back and train with her again. 

The two brothers excitedly raced back towards the manor, seeing who could make it there first.  Once the echo of their voices was lost behind solid doors, Korra turned back to Asami with a heavy sigh.

“Alright, I guess I should get cleaned up too, huh?” Korra asked as she wiped her brow with her forearm. She’d need sometime to mentally prepare herself for the torture that Asami most likely subject her through. At thought of makeovers and girl talk she let out a visible shiver. The moment that Korra turned around to ask where she should change, she froze solid. 

“What are you doing?!” Korra’s voice cracked, thrown off by the sight. Asami shrugged off her coat without a care, exposing a fitted long sleeved undershirt.  Ignoring the question, the heiress folded her jacket it and placed it on a nearby bench. 

“You didn’t seem like you were done earlier,” Asami spoke as she rolled up her sleeves to her elbows.  Easing her stiff muscles a bit, she rotated her shoulders and stretched her legs. She was still in her skirt but couldn’t be bothered to change; she wasn’t planning on being too serious at the moment.  “I thought we could spar for a bit.”

Korra stared at her, dumbstruck.  Muscles made themselves visible as Asami loosened up her body and there was something oddly alluring about the way she moved.  Korra wasn’t blind or stupid; she had known that Asami had a nice figure, but she hadn’t realized that how fit the girl was.  Definition was prominent as she moved but the muscles shied away when she stilled.  It was only when mirthful greens met blues that the bender finally noticed that she was staring. Korra shook her head in attempts to snap out of her daze.

“You can’t be serious,” Korra asked as she eyed the rest of Asami’s attire. Even if Asami had lost her jacket, she was still in restrictive clothing. There was no way she could fight, in lack of better terms, a girl.  She would destroy her.  “Look, I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

“Scared?” Asami asked in a cocky tone as she raised an eyebrow.  “Who would’ve thought the Avatar would be afraid of-”

“Whoa, whoa. I’m not afraid of anything. Well, maybe except for accidently killing you or something,” Korra cut her off.  She waved her hand in front of her face to dismiss her notion.

“Do your worst, Avatar.” Asami smirked and quickly dashed toward the other girl.

Korra just had enough time to react and just ducked under a well-positioned punch. She fumbled backwards as swift swings flew over her head, quickly losing her footing.  A skillful roundhouse kick flew just inches from her head and Korra found herself sitting on her rear.  The Avatar couldn't do anything but look at the other girl in bewilderment.

With a smug smirk, Asami rested her hand on her hip.  Korra, too proud to take the offered hand in front of her, placed her arms behind her and threw her body weight with her legs.  Once she was on her feet, she caught her balance and she narrowed her eyes. Her bottom lip jutted out in a pout.  The fact that she had to look up to meet the Asami's eyes didn’t ease her annoyance. 

“That’s not fair,” Korra grumbled.  “I wasn’t ready. Again.”

“You know what? How about you come at me." 

Asami’s smile was playful and she took a step back.  Spreading her legs, she stood on the balls of her feet, readying herself to evade any of the girl’s attacks.

Asami was well versed in self-defense so taking the offence wasn’t something she was as comfortable with.  She was practiced in chi blocking jabs, not so much full blown punches. She preferred to stick with the tactic of using her opponent’s strength and weight against them with well-timed dodges and throws rather than striking. Korra, on the other hand, wasn’t used to close quarter combat.  She wasn’t unfamiliar with it but she hadn’t needed to rely on it before. Both were presented with an interesting challenge.

With the knowledge that Asami could hold her own, Korra charged at her. The first swing was light, but when Asami dodged it with ease, the follow up was much quicker. She thought she had finally one-upped the girl when she feigned a jab and curled her arm in to used her elbow to knock her.  She was disappointed when all she managed was to do was nick her shoulder.

Punch after punch was batted away or dodged and it infuriated the bender. After a dozen or so failed swipes, Korra was fed up with the little game.  Raising her hand, palm to the sky, she earthbent a small mound right where Asami would take her next step.  Catching the non-bender off guard, Asami stumbled backwards before falling to the ground.

“And you called me a cheater?” Asami glowered at Korra.  A shit-eating grin was plastered on Korra’s face and she crossed her arms.

“Hey, you never said I couldn’t use bending,” Korra justified and pointed a finger at the fallen girl. 

With a shrug, Korra offered her hand.  Asami started it down for a few seconds before taking it in her own and was pulled on to her feet so that they were face to face. 

“Best out of three.  No bending,” Asami declared as she took a defensive stance. 

Korra nodded and took a deep breath before bouncing back into their little dance.  As usual, Asami seemed to be one step ahead of Korra.  It was a completely different sensation that practicing with the boys. This was more of a mental challenge since she couldn’t just use brute force to knock her down. She needed to be smart and time her movements with precision.

“Stop holding back,” Asami said with slight irritation. The two hit a standstill and Korra raised an eyebrow.  The Avatar was far from trying and her reluctance was obvious. 

“If you insist,” Korra gave in with a shrug. She rolled her shoulders a bit before hooking with her left. 

The fact that Asami was able to avoid it with ease showed Korra that was allowed to take things to a notch higher.  In no time, Asami could tell that the bender had lost all inhibition to hold back at all.  There was no delay in her onslaught and her hits no longer appeared to be pulled. As the shorter girl gained speed, so did her attacks.  Every punch, jab, and kick was becoming  harder and harder to dodge. 

Asami grunted when she was just able to soften a knee to the gut and was forced to raise her hand to block a swing at her head. She was impressed that she wasn’t showing any signs of slowing down yet.  Each attack was coming at her faster and harder than before and she kept them coming. 

Korra’s face turned hard with determination as she tried land a hit. As the Avatar, it was clear that Korra was accustomed to switching fighting styles and  Asami got a first hand demonstration of her prowess. Asami knew that she was learning her movements.  Memorizing her techniques, she adapted and made changes, accommodating to Asami’s superior speed. The Equalist was nothing short than impressed.

Each shot was getting closer to landing and Asami wouldn’t stand for that.  Determined to end the little charade before she lost, she watched with keen eyes. A perfectly timed punch came her way and she dug her feet into the ground.  Grabbing the incoming forearm, she turned her body and used the momentum to throw the shorter girl over her shoulder. 

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion yet Korra couldn’t do anything about it. Before she knew it, she was lifted off the ground and then lying flat back on it.  By the time her eyes could focus, she was staring straight up at a clear sky, completely in shock.

“What just happened?” Korra asked, not able to move from her position. Nothing was registering in her head as she lay still in a daze.  Her breathing was labored and her skin sheened with a thin layer of sweat.

“I think you just got beat,” Asami answered with an air of nonchalance as she tried to even out her own breathing.  Korra’s view was blocked when the victor hovered over her with a small smug grin adorned on her face.  Dark locks cascaded down over her shoulders and even after the scuffle, managed to look flawless. Korra’s look of confusion melted into something softer.

“What are you smiling about?” Asami asked, bemused.  

“Don’t worry about it,” Korra laughed it off.

She let out a booming laugh that echoed in the empty yard and Asami continued to look at her in confusion.  It had been a long time since the avatar-in-training had so much fun.  Being cooped up at the Air Temple for so long while actively avoiding the Task Force didn't leave her much time to do what she wanted.  The only time she got to let off a bit of steam was when she was at Fire Ferret practices. But, unfortunately for the active girl, pro-bending had a strict rulebook to follow, limiting her options. Probending only allowed her to practice a specific field, making it more tedious than anything else. The quick paced, on-your-toes duel that Asami had provided was a welcome change in atmosphere. She felt more like herself than she had in a while.

When the laughing died off, a slender hand presented itself to Korra and she stared at it as if it were alien.  Asami was about to retract her offer when a strong hand gripped hers and pulled it great force. The strong yank toppled the taller girl, causing her lose her balance and fall over. It was clear that her idea was not thought through thoroughly and Korra let out a pained grunt when the taller girl came tumbling down on her.  Not having any time to catch herself, Asami found her face mere inches from the other girl's.  The tense, awkward air was making both of them uncomfortable. 

Neither of them dared to move and Asami’s breath was caught in her throat.  Heat radiated off of their exhausted bodies but the only thing either of them could focus on was the other’s eyes. 

Emeralds studied sapphires.   Playful, clear, and full of life, they were oddly warm and unusually welcoming.  There was something bewitching about the bright eyes she found herself staring.

“I believe that that’s called poor sportsmanship,” Asami spoke after clearing her throat.  Her words successfully broke the strange enchantment and she rolling from off of the other girl.  The heiress found herself mimicking Korra, directing her gaze to the sky.

“Pfft,” Korra shook the statement off.  “It’s called having fun.”

Asami turned her head and raised an eyebrow. She was greeted by a crooked grin and she couldn’t help but smile back.  This girl was nothing like she had imagined.  What the press presented to the public, what Mako had spoke of, what she had always been told; nothing seemed to overlap with the person in front of her.

“Uhh... You guys okay?” Mako’s concerned voice came as boys found them lazing about.

Pulled back to reality, Asami gave the firebender a warm smile as he pulled her to her feet.

“We were just taking a break,” Asami answered with a peck on his cheek.  She didn’t fail to notice Korra’s face drop back to its usual state of annoyance.

“Asami,” her father addressed, “did you know these boys were living over the gym?”

Of course she knew, she was dating one of the brothers, but she didn’t know the answer he was looking for. 

“Where’s your sense of hospitality?  You should’ve told me.  I just offered to let them live in the annex until they’ve won the championship,” the mustachioed man boasted with a grin. 

Asami resisted the urge to narrow her eyes at the man. She knew he had to be plotting something but she didn’t quite know.  She was already dating the boy; she didn’t need to be living with him. The closer she was to him, the closer he was to her.  She was surprised that he wanted them anywhere near the manor. 

“Isn’t that great?” Bolin picked Korra up from the ground. Not able to conceal his excitement, he gave her a strong squeeze.. Korra’s forced smile told everyone else otherwise. 

“Of course, you can stay here as often as you want as well,” Asami offered. 

The slight falter in Hiroshi’s smile went unnoticed by the crowd but, with a small nod, he agreed. “Of course.  And, you’ll all be staying for dinner then we can settle you in your rooms."

“I don’t know,” the Water Tribe native protested, “I should probably be heading back soon-”

“Nonsense,” Asami cut her off, “you can stay one night without Tenzin breathing down your neck.” 

“I mean, no, I really should-”

“Korra, no.  You have to stay,” Bolin interjected.  “Relax, I mean, what’s the worst he could do?”

* * *

“I should’ve went home,” Korra spoke into the empty room. The room that she was placed in was a lot like the rest of the grounds.  In other words: upscale, overly spacious, and just overall hoity-toity. It was a foreign environment and made her feel out of her element. 

There was a bathroom conjoined to her bedroom and it had more soaps, powders, and amenities than all the bathrooms on Air Temple Island combined.  To make things more complicated, nothing was labeled.  After a few peeks into a couple jars and smelling the contents in the bottles, she selected the best smelling one and set it aside.

With a heavy sigh, she let her hair down and dropped her hair ties and armbands haphazardly on the countertop.  After pulling her shirt over her head, she tossed it on the ground with a face of disgust at the lingering smell of sweat, dirt, and soot. It was only after that she removed the pelt around her waist did she realize she had nothing to change into.

“Asami?” Korra called out as she knocked on the other girl’s door. It had been convenient that she was put in a room in the same wing as Asami’s, even if she had put a small fight in protest.

“Hey, Asami, do you have clothes I can borrow?” Korra called out as she knocked once more before turning the knob to step inside.

Fresh out of the shower, Asami stepped out of the bathroom revitalized.  She was patting her hair dry when she was stopped in her tracks at the sight of the other girl in front of her.  Korra was visibly exhausted as she stood there with lidded eyes.  Her hair fell down over her shoulders in a tangle, stopping just before where her chest binds started.  Her loose fit pants looked like pajamas as they covered half of her feet. 

Korra lazily scratched the back of her leg with her other foot and raised both of her eyebrows.   “Clothes?”

“Oh, yeah.  Right. Got it.”  Shaking her head a bit after more or less being caught staring, Asami moved to her closet.  Most of her nightgowns matched the one she was currently wearing and figured that Korra wouldn’t be too pleased in being dressed in frills. Taking that into account, she moved to her workout clothes.

The Avatar caught the white tank top and pair of shorts that flew at her head and with a small smile and mumbled a small thanks. 

“Do you need help with figuring out the bath?” Asami asked as Korra was making her way out.

“I have bathed before, just so you know,” Korra chuckled and returned to her own room.

The country girl regretted her decision to turn down the offer and let out a loud groan.  It took her over five minutes to turn the tap on and she couldn't be bothered with figuring out how to work the heater.  Completely fed up with the whole thing, she pulled water into the bath and heated it herself with a little help from firebending. 

A deep sigh of relief escaped through her lips as she was finally able to relax in the full tub.  The warmth soothed her sore muscles and she closed her eyes and let out a moan of appreciation.  Thoughts began to eat at her as the silence started to get at her.  It finally dawned on her that she was in a completely unfamiliar house, far away from people she knew and trusted.  The only person in close proximity was the girl that was dating the guy she liked, a fact that wasn’t the least bit comforting.

At least she knew that Asami could kick some ass if she needed any back up.  She was confident that chi blockers wouldn’t stand a chance against them as a team.

* * *

Sleep usually didn’t find Asami easily and her midnight strolls were nothing out of the ordinary.  The calmness of the dark gave her a sense of comfort as she made her way to the kitchen. The soft pitter-patter of light footsteps echoed in the empty halls but was drowned out by the unfamiliar sound of whimpering.

Stopping in front of Korra’s room, Asami put an ear up to the door. She was unsure if she should knock or not but when the whines got louder, she rapped her knuckles against the hard wood.

“Korra?” she called when she got no answer.  She knocked again, louder.  “I’m coming in.”

Spread across the large bed laid Korra. Sheets were bunched up around her waist, twisted around her body.  It was clear she had been tossing around, indicated by the pillows scattered along the floor.

“Korra, wake up,” Asami called out, shaking the distressed girl lightly. 

When she didn’t wake, she shook with a bit more force and called a little louder. Asami was caught off guard when a strong grip was on the front of her shirt.  Wild eyes shook in place and dilated pupils bore into hers. It took a few moments for the Avatar to calm and loosen her grip, realizing that it was her host in front of her, not a threat.

“Don’t do that,” Korra warned, releasing her grip with a shove.  She fell back on the bed and closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing heart. 

Meditation sessions with Tenzin proved to be somewhat successful when Korra was able to stable herself with in a few minutes.  Turning to the side, she gives her visitor a quiet look of apology.

“What happened there? Are you okay?” Asami asked with a tinge of worry.

“It’s-” Korra started but cut herself off.  She needed not to bother the girl with her trivial trepidations. “Nothing.  It’s nothing.”

“Alright then.” With a bit of reluctance, the heiress let it go. It wasn’t her business; if the Avatar didn’t want to talk about it, she would just have to let her be. “If you need anything, you know where I’ll be.”

Before she could pull away, a firm grip held her forearm.  “Wait,” a feeble voice called her attention back. “Just, sit with me for a bit?”

Since the nightmares were a regular occurrence, she had been accustomed to dealing with them.  The difference this time was that she had always had Naga that helped soothe her back into reality. Here, she was alone. For the first time she allowed herself to admit that she was afraid.

Asami was about to protest but with a glance, words died in her throat. The tough, headstrong Avatar was slumped over, running her hands through sweaty bangs.  Her clothes were disheveled, half hanging off of her shoulder and stretched at the neck.   The headstrong girl that she fought with earlier was replaced by someone new. This girl in front of her looked in utter defeat. 

Pulling a chair from the corner of the room to beside the bed, Asami wordlessly agreed to the plea.  Korra refused to look at the comforting girl, boring holes into the wall.  She wrapped her arms around her knees as tears started to form in the corner of her eyes.  She berated herself for agreeing to stay there, away from all sources of comfort back on the island. 

Silence engulfed the pair.  Finally feeling a sense of security, Korra was finally able to nod off again. Asami was starting to drift off in her chair when she started to hear small whines again.  She didn't know what to do, she didn't want to wake the girl up again.

Over the span of time that she had spent with the girl, she had noticed how much Korra found comfort in physical contact.  A pale hand sought out the darker one, trying to give her sense of serenity. The strong hand grasped hers in a death grip, holding on as if her life was on the line.  Asami started to hum a light tune, hoping to soothe her. A deft thumb started massaging circles in Korra’s palm, eventually easing the bender back into a calm slumber.

Once she registered what she was doing, Asami jumped from her spot in complete disgust with herself.  She could not befriend the Avatar.  She represented everything that the Equalist resented.  The Avatar was the single being that controlled everything with brute force and bullying. The Avatar was the one that kept everyone in their place by threats, claiming superiority over others because she was simply born lucky.

“Asami,” Hiroshi addressed his daughter. 

Asami had not moved from spot against Korra’s closed door and was embarrassed to be caught in that position.  Hiroshi took her arm in his and walked her down the hall to the kitchen. Late nights ran in the family, with the family business and all.  “What were you thinking? Inviting that abomination stay in our house?”

Truth be told, she hadn’t known what she was thinking when she first offered her to stay. It had just seemed like the correct thing to do. 

“How could you let her stay so close to the workshop as well?”

“I couldn’t let her stay in the annex with the boys,” Asami was quick to argue. “How would it look if I let my boyfriend stay the same room as a girl that was clearly infatuated with him?”

“Keep an eye on her,” Hiroshi warned.  It was evident that he was not comfortable with someone so powerful and threatening near him. “She’ll be nothing but trouble.”

It was hard to see Korra as someone that would be running amok in the mansion after what she had just witnessed minutes ago.  She may be the world’s most powerful and influential being, but she was still just a teenaged girl.  There was something that was haunting her and Asami vowed to find out what. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the reviews and follows! I love you guys so much. This got a lot more feedback that I thought it would. I hope this chapter was alright, I didn't have a beta read over it either. I wanted to get this chapter out sooner but I kept getting drunk. Sorry! haha. Let me know what you guys thought though! Any feedback would be useful. Also, you can follow me on tumblr if you want a lot of korrasami on your dash. My username is: korrainasamisjacket


	3. Chapter 3

Asami liked to allow herself to sleep in on occasion. Late nights usually meant late mornings but she wasn’t allowed that luxury when heavy banging on the manor’s front door boomed through the halls.  It was only a few seconds before she heard the house staff trying to stop heavy footsteps from storming through the house.  Doors were flung open, just short of being ripped off of their hinges. Grabbing a robe, the heiress wrapped herself up before making her way to the commotion.  

“What are you doing here?” a stern voice questioned. Asami instantly recognized it as the chief-of-police’s. 

“You can’t just go wandering off on your own. Do you know how worried we were?” a man’s voice took control of the interrogation.  Asami was sure that the voice belonged to none other than the Air Nation’s representative, Tenzin.

“You may be the Avatar but you can’t just go running around the city like you own it.”

“You have responsibilities.”

“Do you know how much trouble you are young lady?”

“Pema was worried sick.”

“Half of the city police was out looking for you.”

One after another, Korra was confronted by an onslaught of harsh reprimands.  Asami couldn’t hear Korra’s voice between the bouts, only small interjections.

“I’m sorry, this was all my fault,” Asami offered as she obtruded into the conversation.  Managing to find an opening, Asami positioned herself between the two officials and the troubled girl.  With a perfect smile in place, she used her honed skills to appease the situation. “Avatar Korra was helping us with some security around the manor when I asked her to stay here. With all the Equalists running around, I figured she could help ease my nerves a bit.” 

With a slacked jaw, Korra looked at the other girl in disbelief for a few moments before finally catching on. With small nods, she played along with Asami’s story.

“Look, you see? It couldn’t be helped. I thought since-” Korra stumbled a bit, unaccustomed to lying. She tried to use over exaggerated hand gestures move her story along but they didn’t seem to be doing any good. “I mean, I thought that maybe since the Sato Family huge in the economic world, they might be potential targets for Amon.”

While Chief Beifong looked unamused, Tenzin narrowed his eyes before giving a small nod.  Metal armor clinked as the chief moved to cross her arms over her chest, upset at Tenzin's leniency.  Just as she opened her mouth to add her two-cents, she was cut off by the airbending master.

“As long as you weren’t slacking on your duties.” Tenzin slouched with a huff.  The bearded man recomposed himself and continued. “And, while I’m sure Ms. Sato had no ill intentions in her proposal, the Avatar shouldn’t be used as any one person’s bodyguard.”

“If you feel that your estate needs some heightened security, I can assign a few of our officers to keep extra eyes on the area.  Unfortunately with all the protests and riots in the city, there isn’t much else that can be done.”

Lin’s grumpy expression and crossed arms didn’t radiate warmth in the slightest, but Asami knew with the situation at hand that it was a generous offer.

“Thank you, I appreciate it, but now that Mako and Bolin are staying here, I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Asami politely declined the offer. “Maybe I can convince my dad to move their rooms closer to the main wing-”

“No!” Korra interjected.  “I mean,” she cleared her throat. “I can make a few rounds around the place before I turn in and again in the early morning. It’s not their jobs to keep the city safe; it’s the Avatar’s.”

Everyone could sense the girl’s strange sense of nervousness as she tried to hide her warm face behind her hand. Although Asami was starting to find that side of Korra adorable, it was getting old.  The silly love triangle and the mindless competition for Mako’s attention was unnecessary effort.  That, on top of the chaos since Korra arrival, stirred a small yearning for just a normal life.  Yearning for a life that she knew would only come after the revolution. 

“Thanks, but I think we should be fine,” Asami tried her best to turn down the offer with offending any of the parties.

“Yes, I agree with Ms. Sato here. Because of your little shenanigans, Lin and I have decided to put you on a strict curfew-“

“No! That’s totally unfair! It’s not like I was out on the streets or doing anything dangerous!”

Asami could see Korra’s look of hurt as her face dropped.  Even she had found it unjust that the world’s savior was being punished as a child, a position that she had often found herself in the past.  She internally debated about interjecting her opinion but decided it wasn’t any of her business.

“You will not be permitted to leave Airbender Island after 10.  The only exceptions will be for Avatar duties or the task force,” Chief Beifong instructed.

“Also, your morning meditation has been moved to the evening.  Don't think you'll be getting away with missing yesterdays either.  It will be twice as long,” Tenzin added his instructions. Korra’s detention was to be effective immediately.  The officials made sure that the Avatar understood all her obligations before taking their leave.

A tongue poked out between pouted lips in a small act of rebellion.  Korra came to the conclusion that the two polar opposites had made an agreement to take away any distractions that were keeping her sane.  The life she was living was nowhere near what she had imagined it would be like.

“Korra, look, I’m sorry,” Asami rested her hand on the shorter girl’s shoulder as she apologized.  “I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal. I shouldn’t have insisted that you stay.”

“Yeah, you really shouldn’t have,” Korra snapped back, yanking her shoulder from the non-bender’s touch.

The small knit between Asami’s brows made Korra regret her harsh reaction in an instant.  Slumping her shoulders, she gave a dejected sigh and started walking back to her guest room.  She knew it wasn’t Asami’s fault but she desperately needed to blame someone and the girl who held Mako’s hand just so happened to be the easiest.  It wasn’t fair that the prissy rich girl had everything that Korra didn’t. It irked her that life was so easy for her.  Anything the girl could dream of was right at her finger tips.  Yet, she still stole the few friends and little free time that Korra possessed.

Quiet footfalls pitter-pattered behind her and the feeling of annoyance morphed into defeat. “It’s not your fault. I should’ve known they wouldn’t have been happy on letting me do anything I’d want to do.  Now I’ll be stuck going to meditation for weeks.” Korra offered a smile and turned to Asami. 

The heiress couldn’t help but smile at the warm expression that the Avatar wore and, for a moment, it felt as if they were they finally shared a common ground.  Even at their young ages, both were held to their jobs and status before they were allowed to be themselves.  Both were desperate for freedom and carelessness of their peers, to have to choice to be stubborn and selfish, to just take each day as they came to them. All they really craved was a normal teenaged life.

Shaking her from of her musings, a loud growl echoed through the manor.  Sharp claws clicked against tile as Korra’s large companion made its way to the pair. The polar bear dog was across the hall but was charging at them full speed and, despite the distance, the pair could tell that she did not look pleased in the slightest.  The yells of the house staff were drowned out as Naga gave a ferocious roar.

“Naga?” Korra called out. As quickly as a smile crossed her face, it morphed into a confused frown.  On guard, Asami took a defensive stance on instinct.  All looks of casualty were dropped when they were faced with the reality of her situation.

The staff trailing behind the massive beast couldn’t keep up with the speed that Naga was moving at.  Asami kept her eyes on the dog, readying herself for a pummel.

“What are you doing, girl?” Korra tried calling to the animal to shake her from her rage.  Nothing seemed to slow Naga as she continued to charge at them at full speed.

“Naga!” Korra yelled at her in a stern voice. Nothing.  White blurred down the hallway and lunged at the non-bender. Quick on her feet, Asami avoided the pounce just barely by sliding under the massive body. 

Naga made sure to give Asami a run for her money, never letting the Equalist to catch her breath. Sharp teeth grazed her shoulder and Asami let out a pained yelp.  Asami couldn’t keep up with the beast’s speed in such a confined space and green eyes widened in panic.  As she avoided swipes at her head, her foot caught on the rug and caused her to stumble backwards.  She let out a pained grunt as her newly injured shoulder fell hard against the wall. With no time to move out of the way, she closed her eyes, bracing herself from the inevitable attack.

“What are you doing!?” Korra jumped between the two. Putting an arm up, Korra took the harsh swipe in place of Asami.  The force of the massive paw caused her shoulder to dislocate.  Naga’s face warped into one of shame when saw Korra wince; it was clear that she hadn’t intended on hurt her master.  The polar bear dog dropped to the ground in submission with puppy dog eyes and spared no expense on whines as she begged for forgiveness.

Korra took a moment to collect herself, still reeling from the blow.  She grimaced as she used her good hand to pop her shoulder back into place.

“What were you thinking?” she asked her usually faithful companion.  “Why were you attacking Asami like that? It’s not like you.”

Finally comfortable enough to move again, Korra made her way to her animal companion.  Korra buried her face in Naga’s soft, thick fur to let her know that all was forgiven. A large tongue lapped at the injured arm, trying her best to make it feel better.

“You can’t attack Asami like that, girl,” Korra chided. “She’s our friend.”

Hostility drained out of Asami’s body and her blood ran cold. 

“ _She’s our friend_ ,” the words resonated. 

Korra thought of Asami as her friend.

Asami made her way to Korra’s side with great caution. She kept an eye on the massive animal in front of her and was reluctant to reach her hand out.

“Naga, behave,” Korra scolded when the bear let out a defensive growl.   A strong hand took Asami’s carelessly and guided it to a wet nose.

“She’s usually well behaved, I promise,” Korra explained as Naga took in the new scent.  She was still a bit apprehensive to let the chi blocker near her, but gave in at her master’s insistence.  A pink tongue licked the conjoined hands and only once Korra was certain that Naga would behave, she let the other girl’s hand go. 

Never having any extended periods of interaction with animals, Asami awkwardly patted the long snout.  Reassuring fingers returned to wrap around her wrist when Korra started guiding her hand to under Naga’s chin.  “She likes it when you scratch her here.”

Asami’s gaze drifted from the slobbering muzzle to Korra’s gentle smile, relishing at the light grip on her hand. Sweet words replayed in her head.

_She’s our friend._

“What’s going on here?” Asami’s whipped her head in the direction of Hiroshi’s booming voice.  The sudden jerk caused a sharp pain to rip through her back. Try as she might, she was unable to cover a loud wince.

“What happened to your back?”  he demanded to know with his voice void of sympathy. Suspicious sapphires studied the elder man at his apparent outrage.

“I can take care of that,” Korra offered, claiming responsibility for her best friend’s actions. Korra released her grip on Asami’s wrist and a subtle sense of loss burned at her skin.

“I think you’ve done enough here, don’t you?” Hiroshi spat back.

“No, wait, I’m sorry about all this, but at least let me heal it.”

Korra tried to reach out to Asami’s shoulder, but her hand was swatted away. “I let you into my house, allow you to spend the night, I sponsor your rookie team, and this is how you repay me? Get out!”

“Daddy, it was an accident,” Asami tried to step in. It was a bad move since the slight shift caused the wound to smart. 

“Sir, just let me heal this and I’ll be out of your house.”

Korra started to panic.  She was starting to get used to being chastised by authorities but still didn’t know how to react to being scolded on a personal level.

“Dad, I’m fine.  It’s nothing, really.  It would be nice if she could heal it though.”

The pain of the torn flesh was settling in as her adrenaline waned.  Asami knew how her father felt about waterbender healers.  She was only allowed to see modern medicine healers but knew that their methods weren’t close to as efficient. 

Fierce red eyes narrowed at his daughter. Only when he realized he was not going to win this argument, not as long as the Avatar was present, he stormed away. "We'll talk about this later, Asami."

Helping Asami to her feet, Korra walked her to her bedroom.  A sullen polar bear dog trialed behind them with a bowed head and her tail between her legs in complete shame.  Once in the room, Naga situated herself in a corner as not to get in the way as Korra sat Asami on the bed.

“I’m going to go get some water. It’d be best of you remove your top,” Korra instructed in a professional manner.

Asami struggled to free herself from her shirt. Each movement elicited pained hisses and when it became intolerable, she fell face down on the bed. Not bothering to move, she waited for the other girl so she could help her finish removing it.

There was a small hiccup in her step when Korra found Asami in her current position.  The silken nightgown was trapped on one arm but the gash on Asami’s shoulder in plain sight.  Bright red flesh was exposed in the deep wound and Korra let out an empathetic hiss.

“Here,” Korra placed the bowl of water on the nightstand.  “Let me help.”

Carefully, Korra pulled the dress over Asami’s head and slid it off her arm.  She discarded the bloody fabric onto the floor and moved back to the bowl.

“This might sting a bit at first,” Korra forewarned. The severity of the wound was a lot worse than she had initially thought it be and she shot daggers at her friend sulking in the corner.  A small whine escaped the dog before she turned her back to them in remorse. “It’s been a while since I’ve done this so let me know if it hurts.”

A thick layer of water coated her hand and started to glow.  With great care, Korra lowered it to the gash.  Asami hissed at the sharp sting as the tepid water touched her skin but relaxed as she got accustomed to it.  Warmth flowed through her body once the initial shock subsided and her muscles eased.

She had never felt anything like it before. There was a tingling feeling that surged from the tips of her fingers to her toes and everywhere between. Rigid at first, her body fell limp and a low moan escaped her lips.  The non-bender was unaware of her murmurs whereas Korra was hyperaware. A warm blush spread from her cheeks and made its way down to her neck. 

“Have you ever done this before?” Korra asked, abashed.

“No,” Asami mumbled through a pillow as she shifted her position.  “I didn’t know it would feel this good.”

Korra let out a nervous laugh and a small cough. “Yeah, it’s a-” she stumbled a bit on her words “strange feeling, I guess.  It takes a while to get used to.” 

Asami turned her head to face Korra when the soothing feeling stopped and the second that she saw the Avatar’s tinted cheeks she was painfully aware of the sounds she was making.  Burying her face in the bed, she just wanted to die.

“I’m going to need you to sit up,” Korra tried her best to dissolve the awkward air that encompassed them.  “You’ll need to move it around to make sure the muscle healed properly.”

Grasping the sheets to her chest, Asami sat up. She refused to make any eye contact and focused all her attention to not let out a peep. Korra, on the other hand, was losing a battle against a heavy blush.  She bit at her lower lip as she let healing hands hover over the injured area. “Roll your shoulder back,” she instructed.

With even the slightest movements, trained muscles made themselves visible.  Korra’s face showed no signs of losing any color as she admired the form in front of her. Fit, yet undeniably feminine, Asami’s slender form possessed curves that Korra had always envied. Oblivious to her actions, the younger girl didn’t catch herself has she let her fingertips graze the porcelain skin. Asami’s discomfort was displayed by goose bumps and stiff posture.  If that weren’t enough, then Asami’s strong grip on the sheets was a dead giveaway.

“How does that feel?” Korra asked as she allowed her hands to linger a bit longer before removing them.  “Better?”

“Y-Yeah.  Much.” Asami let out a breath that had be caught in her throat. The moment that callused hands started trailing across her skin caused a physical reaction and the foreign sensation left her dumbstruck. She was so distracted by it that she hadn’t even noticed lack of pain. 

“There’s a slight chance of scarring,” Korra ran her course thumb over the small remaining mark, “but it’s not likely. There is a small mark here now but once your body takes course, it should go away.”

“It’s not big deal,” Asami shrugged off. Though the gesture was to show her indifference, it was mostly to get Korra’s touch off of her. The gentleness and concern was too overwhelming.

“Come on, girl.  Let’s get out of here so Asami can get changed.” Korra called to her buddy as she moved away from the bed. 

“You know, we have our own racecar track out back,” Asami turned in her spot, the only thing covering her top being the thin sheet. Blue orbs quickly diverted their attention to the picture frame in the corner of the room.  She kept her attention on a small frame, desperately trying to make out the small, grinning Asami. “How about a race?”

“I don’t know, I really should be going now,” Korra tried to excuse herself.  All she wanted was to leave the stiff room and Asami was clearly doing everything she could to stop her.  “Plus, I don’t think your dad would be too happy with me overstaying my welcome.”

“Leave him to me.  He’s just salty that I’m having fun,” Asami reassured her. Hiroshi wouldn’t be too pleased with the girl, but Asami had been getting accustomed to Korra’s company. Plus, the more she got Korra’s guard down, the better it was for all of them in the long run.

“How about we make it interesting,” Asami offered. “If I win, you have to stop getting jealous whenever I’m with Mako.”

Korra was briefly stunned by the bluntness but quickly recovered.  She was impressed at how forward Asami could be. “Alright, and what do I win?”

Asami rolled her shoulders out, stretching a bit before moving to her dresser to pull out the day’s clothes. Slipping into her racing gear, Asami had to think of something that Korra would actually want from her.

“How about,” Asami started as slipped her hands in her fitted gloves. “If you win, you can date Mako,” Asami offered with a nonchalant shrug.

Korra took a moment to think this over. It had to be a trick. Why was she so willing to offer her boyfriend on a mere wager that she wasn’t positive that she would win? There had to be something up her sleeve.

“Deal,” Korra agreed with a smug smirk. She offered her hand and Asami took in her own, sealing the deal.  Both offered a strong grip, not willing to show any sign of apprehension.

* * *

Korra saddled up on Naga’s back and the thumping of a heavy tail indicated the polar bear dog’s eagerness.  Asami selected one of Future Industries newer cars, a line that was designed for drag racing.  She adorned her personal helmet and snapped the goggles to her face.

“Three laps and the first to cross the finish line is the victor,” Asami clarified the rules as she jammed the key in the ignition.   Revving up the car, Asami felt excitement surging through her veins it came to life. A sly grin made its way across her face. 

“On my mark. Ready. Set. GO!” Asami yelled over the roaring engine and gassed it. 

Taking the lead, Asami made sure to stay directly in front of the other girl.  Every time the avatar would move to the right, Asami positioned herself so she wouldn't be allowed to pass.  The two soared through the track, burning rubber with every turn.  A steady hand gripped the gear stick, shifting with perfect precision. The car purred beneath her as she maneuvered through the course with ease. 

Two laps down.  With at glimpse through her rearview mirror, Asami furrowed her brows in confusion.  She knew that Korra had to be hiding something behind that eerie grin.  Naga was on her tail, as she was since the start, but the smug look that the avatar was giving her told her she was plotting something. Focused emeralds shifted back to the path at the final turn.  It was the last stretch. 

Asami let out a shriek when the large beast jumped over her, landing just inches in front of her.  The car groaned as she shifted gears in a rush, adjusting her speed to insure that she didn’t run over a bouncing tail.  Try as she might, she couldn’t reclaim first.  The giant dog took up more of the track that she had realized. On top of that, a wagging tail swept from left to right, swiping every attempt she made to get around. Even if she could manage to squeeze through the small passage at the outer side, it would only be a matter of time before Korra pulled off the same move.

“Dammit,” Asami swore under her breath. There were only a few yards from the finish, leaving only seconds to make a decision.  Ultimately, she knew that there was no way of passing her opponent without full out ramming the polar bear dog. 

Sighing in defeat and embarrassment, Asami resigned. She slowed to a sad stop and Korra jumped from Naga's saddle.  With her hands on her hips, Korra raised her chin with conceit. 

“Well, well.  Guess who just kicked your butt at your own game,” Korra teased.

Asami rolled her eyes before removing her goggles and helmet in one swipe.  Long locks flowed down her back and she took a few moments to fluff her hair back into perfection. The haughty grin slowly faded as bright eyes watched in amazement.  She hated to admit it, but there was no denying Asami’s outstanding beauty. It was no wonder why Mako fell head-over-heels for her.  The thought alone made her heart clench. 

“I wouldn’t say you kicked my butt. That was a close call. I mean, I did have the lead for majority of the race,” Asami tried to humble the avatar as she tore herself up inside.

“Winning by a mile or an inch makes no difference. I won in the end,” Korra boasted.

“I underestimated you, Avatar Korra. How about we make it best out of three.”

“You can’t be serious; you know you’re just going to lose,” Korra stated without any restraint. As long as she could get in front of the taller girl it was a guaranteed win.  Asami had have noticed that.

“Yeah, maybe in this thing,” Asami said as she kicked the tire.  “But, I think I want to try something else.”

Korra raised a brow at the girl. Not one to back away from a challenge, she agreed with a tilt of her head. "You're on."

Korra wrestled with Naga for a bit as she waited for Asami to return.  It was a few minutes after disappearing with the prototype that she returned in a form-fitting riding suit, saddled on a motorbike.  Curious eyes drifted along the racer.  If looks could kill, the Republic City population would be non-existent.

A dark visor covered Asami’s smirk as she watched the bender eye her up.  Even if she was born in the less fortunate half of society, at least she had something that even the great Avatar envied. 

“How about just one lap,” Asami bargained as she flipped her visor up.  “We’ll make this quick.”

Hearing the confident voice snapped Korra out of her daze and she focused her attention back to Naga.  “Are you sure? You’ll just lose that much sooner,” she taunted as she hopped up on her companion’s back. 

“Don’t make me make you eat your words, Avatar.”

The racers lined up and Korra started them off. Asami’s bike didn’t have as much speed or acceleration as the racecar but what it lacked it made up for in handling. As the first corner came up, Asami was allowed to take the corner at full speed.  Leaning with the bike, she made it by with her leg mere inches from the asphalt.  The slightest mistake and it would cost her the race and possibly her leg. 

The distance between the racers shrank as the large animal started to show signs of exhaustion.  Although she wasn’t accustomed to racing against large mammals, she took advantage of the situation.  Positioning herself behind Naga, she hid in the pocket of the airstream. Her bike may not have been as powerful or fast, but she was am expert at taking advantage of her surroundings.

Rounding each corner, Asami inched closer and closer as she drafted behind.  Korra felt uneasy as the revving engine continued to get louder.  Hands paled as the Water Tribe native gripped the reins, urging for more speed.  Narrowed green eyes honed in on the final turn.  Asami knew that this was her only chance to get in front of the other girl. Naga took the turns wide leaving which left space on the inner track. It would be cutting it close, but it was just enough space Asami to squeeze in.  Leather groaned as she clutched the throttle and she whipped the handles to the left.  With the sharp turn, she leaned with the vehicle, causing it to lie almost parallel to the ground. At such high speeds, the chi blocker had nearly lost control of the vehicle, but managed keep balance as she glided under the large belly of Korra’s steed.

Korra panicked and almost pulled Naga to a stop when she thought she had thought they had trampled over her new friend. It was only seconds later that she mushed Naga into sprint at the sight of Asami pulling up her visor to give her a teasing wink.

“Cocky little son-of-a-” Korra laughed out loud as she urged Naga faster. 

Korra watched as black hair whipped from out of under a helmet as Asami picked up speed in the last leg. Brown tresses flung around her as she shook her head to clear her thoughts. That damned hair. Korra hated how distracting it was.

There was a loud screeching as Asami spun her bike around, pulling to a halt after crossing the finish line. Korra slowed to a stop and with a tap of her shoulder, Naga knelt down.  Korra leaned against the solid head so playful baby blues could meet bewitching kelly greens. 

“Not too shabby for a daddy’s girl,” Korra teased. Endorphins coursed though her veins caused a semi-permanent smile to be plastered across her face.

“I’m more than meets the eye,” Asami laughed and tossed her helmet at the girl. 

Korra fumbled as she tried to catch it and tossed it back.  Without missing a beat, Asami snatched it out of the air effortlessly.  Korra arched a curious brow at the girl, curious to what else non-bender was hiding behind her prestigious appearance.

“WOO! Alright!”  the pair heard from high in the stands.  Bolin and Mako were cheering and applauding for their performance on the track. The two boys were stumbling over each other as they raced to the end of the bleachers towards the girls. 

“I told you Asami would beat her, Bo,” Mako pushed his brother out of the way and hopped over the ledge to give his girlfriend a congratulatory kiss. 

“Hey!” Korra interjected, taking offense to his lack of faith.

Painted lips pecked Mako’s lips before wrapping her arms around him. “Actually, she had beat me in the first round,” she clarified. “We decided to make it best out of three.”

Saddened eyes turned away from the couple and Korra’s gut twisted.  “Asami’s just a sore loser.  If she didn’t think she was going to win, she shouldn’t have wagered so much.”

Asami raised a brow at the shorter girl, wondering if she was actually thinking about telling him about the winning pot. She pulled away from the firebender’s warmth causing Mako gave her a perplexed look. 

“Oh ho ho, now that’s interesting,” Bolin fell from the stands onto the tracks, joining the rest of the krew. Straightening himself up, he dusted his clothes off and gave an excited smile.  “So, what did you guys bet?”

“Nothing of importance,” Asami answered before Korra could say anything.  Just as Korra was going to protest, a small squeeze on her bicep instructed against it.

“Oh, oh! I know! So, it’s best out of three, right?” Bolin asked with zeal and a small jump.  “How about Mako and I take care of the tie breaker?”

Excited green eyes darted around from person to person but was greeted by silence. “No, come on, think about it. Mako can take the bike and I’ll just ride on Naga. Would that make things so much more interesting?”

“Come on, little bro, just let it go,” Mako tried to convince him to drop it.

“No, that does sounds interesting.” Korra looked up at the two and gave Asami a challenging look, daring her to turn it down 

“You better not lose,” Asami whispered in a husky voice. Crimson lips brushed against his earlobe as she spoke and a chill ran down Mako’s spine.  Full of determination, he took the helmet from Asami’s hands and sauntered over toward his ride. Confidence oozed from his being.

The bending brothers took their marks at the starting line.  Mako was busy fumbling with his helmet when Bolin decided to get a head start.  Galloping in front of Mako, Bolin let out a cheerful laugh. Sharp brows furrowed in anger at the cheat move.  It took a while, but he found his balance and zoomed after his brother. 

“I can’t believe you wanted to let them race,” Asami laughed as she settled herself beside Korra.  The two took to watching the showdown from the stands where they could get a clearer view.

“What? What better way to determine whom Mako ends up with than Mako himself?” Korra leaned forward onto her elbows, watching with anticipation. Taking an opposite position, Asami leaned back against the stands and admired the view. 

A small commotion could be heard from the tracks as the boys started their race and Korra’s booming laugh echoed after it. Unbeknownst to Korra, a concentrated gaze was focused her toned back.  Inspecting eyes scanned the sharp shoulder blades that poked out from her shirt. The flexed muscles were beckoning to be examined.  Lost in a daze, Asami didn’t even realize she had stretched her arm out until she made contact with the soft material of the skin-tight shirt. With a slight tilt in her head, curious eyes turned to face the Equalist. 

“T-There was something on your shoulder.” Pretending to pick off a piece of lint, Asami dusted off the solid muscle and gave a reassuring smile.  Raising her eyebrows, Korra shrugged her shoulders, dismissing the gesture.  Both of their attentions were reverted back to the track as the racers turned down the second corner.

It was obvious that the poor polar bear dog was exhausted.  Her strides were getting sloppy and she was losing speed, fast.  Her early burst of energy turned into a quick jog and Mako used the opportunity to gas it.  Cranking the throttle to the max, Mako lowered his body to the vehicle in attempts to close the gap between him and his opponent.  Although Mako was somewhat familiar with bikes, he was no Asami. Overestimating his abilities, he realized only a little too late that he had misjudged and fell when the bike collapsed beneath him. 

Two pairs of worried eyes widened in shock as girls bolted from their seats, rushing to the edge of the stands. There was a rough scratching noise when the bike was tossed off of the rider and Mako emerged from beneath it seemingly unscathed.  Asami was surprised that he could still stand after taking that corner with so much speed; she was almost convinced that he was immune to bike injuries.  With a sigh of relief, Asami fell back into a seat and relaxed her eyes. “Well, I guess we know who won then.”

“Umm...” Korra paused for a moment as she saw her animal companion come charging at her. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”

At the sight of her best friend, Naga sprinted towards the stands.  Bolin was desperately trying to hold on to the saddle as he flailed about but was bucked off as she jumped up to tackle her master.

“Whoa, down girl,” Korra tried to get the dog off of her.  She was assaulted by licks and tried to catch her breath.  “Stop it, let me up.”

Laughter echoed through the empty stands and Asami couldn’t help but chuckle at Korra’s expense.

“Oh, so you think this is funny, do you?” Korra managed to get out between nuzzles.  Grabbing the large muzzle between her hands, Korra turned the bear’s face toward the other girl. “I think Asami needs some kisses, too, don’t you?”

Naga was hesitant at first but when Korra looked at her so expectantly, she caved and switched targets.  Wide eyes and a furrowed brow displayed Asami’s disgust as she scrambled to get away from the creature. 

“This is so not fair,” Asami deadpanned after her face and hair were covered in slobber.  The thick substance acted as a gel as it slicked her bangs back over her head.

Naga looked between the two and plopped her head down on Asami’s chest.  The weight of Naga’s head knocked the wind out of Asami but she timidly lifted her hand to stroke the fur between her eyes.  Korra wore a blinding smile when she saw the ends of Asami’s red lips curl into a small grin.

“I guess it’s a tie then,” Korra spoke as she turned her attention back to the aftermath. 

Mako had moved from the crash site to help Bolin up and once the boys were assured the other was okay, they started a footrace to the finish line.  The waterbender couldn’t help but laugh as she watched her teammates knock each other over as they scrambled to be first. 

“It was stupid, anyway,” Asami agreed.

Asami tried to move from her spot to see what was going on but Naga made it impossible.  The chi blocker wondered how this gentle giant was the same animal that had attacked her just a few hours ago.  It was apparent that Naga held the Avatar’s trust in high regard, at least high enough to override her natural instincts.  With a whistle, Naga moved from her spot and freed her new friend. She positioned herself between the two girls and a powerful tail thumped against the seats.  Finally freed, Asami sat up and attempted to calm her unruly hair. 

“It really was,” Korra spoke, turning to the other girl with a small smile.  “I can’t believe we even agreed to it in the first place, now that I think about it.”

Asami let out a sigh of relief and stood from her spot. Bolin was making the once pristine track into a small mountain range and she needed to stop them before it became a warzone.  She had to make sure that they cleaned it up or she'd have to face the wrath of her father. 

“Well,” she dusted off her suit and wrestled a bit more with her hair.  “I should go make sure they don’t kill each other.”

The remaining audience watched as the team sponsor made her way down to the arena.  Despite Korra’s day starting off on the wrong foot, it was one that she would not soon forget.  “Looks like we misjudged her, doesn’t it, girl?” Korra whispered to her best friend, giving her a big hug. 

With that, the first drop of guilt started trickling through the Equalist’s veins. What Asami didn’t know was that it was only a matter of time before she’d find herself drowning in it with no one to save her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m SO sorry for the long wait. I forgot to tell you I was going on vacation and I had no time to get any writing done. I really wanted to get this out to you sooner. Also, I want to say thanks to all of you who follow me on tumblr and this chapter is to commemorate 500 followers! WOO! (I have no idea how that happened...)
> 
> I was planning on running this story parallel to the show (as I usually like to do) but felt that I should be more "creative" and deviate a little bit; it is an AU after all. Hopefully it'll be a little more exciting. If you don't like the change, let me know and I'll switch back. Either/or works for me.
> 
> On another note, though, I really would appreciate feedback to this story. What do you guys think of the characters and the pace? Is it too fast? Too slow? What do you want to see more of? Anything would help, really. I hope this chapter is up to your standards! Thanks for reading! You guys are the best.


	4. Chapter 4

Two bodies dropped on the floor with a thud. Despite being blindfolded and hogtied, they flopped around like fish out of water, trying their best to get away. Electricity crackled as a heavy glove silenced the muffed grunts of the heftier of the two. The smaller one quickly shut her mouth, knowing well that that pain was something to be avoided. 

“Good job,” a low voice whispered in the dark. “I’m sure your father must be proud.”

Eyes darted around empty roads through night vision goggles, still high strung from the mission.  She knew exactly who was approaching at the sight of a familiar mask. The symbol of their revolution, the mask of Amon. 

“I takes a lot to impress him, but I’m working on it,” Asami spoke.  Tired eyes watched as a couple of chi blockers loaded their new captives into the back of a truck. Whines and kicks could be heard through resonating from the van; the passengers were clearly refusing to give up without a fight. 

Since the revolution, rumors of a cleansing station started circling through the underground.  They all feared the rumor that once you were caught by an Equalist, there was no safe return.  They had every right to be afraid.  Even if it were only one thug at a time, the Triple Threat Triad would be taken down.

The loaded vehicle sped away, leaving a trail of dust behind it.  The two were left to talk alone.  “I hear you’ve been seen around with the Avatar,” the solemn voice gave no leeway to emotion. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Yeah.  I figured I’d use the opportunity to get close to her and her friends,” Asami confirmed. “Future Industries has decided to sponsor their bending team.  As long as they do well in the competition, we’ll gain unguarded access to the stadium.”

Although the gasmask covering the chi blocker’s mouth made her breathing echo and her voice almost unrecognizable, Amon was certain of who it was.  After all, Asami was one of his top protégés.  There was no family name he depended on more than Sato.  Even if young girl had just stepped into her position two years ago, she was quickly working her way up the ranks.  

“She’s not just a lowlife thug, you need to be careful,” Amon advised as he stepped out of the shadows.   The light tapping of his heavy boots echoed against the cobblestone.  Slow and menacing, his movements seemly moved with perfect precision.  “She has a lot more power and potential than anyone we have faced. More than everyone you have faced put together.”

“Trust me, she doesn’t suspect a thing,” Asami spoke after freeing herself from her mask.  Taking a deep breath, she filled her lungs with fresh air. The cool air created a fog around the town, allowing the two to meet under a small veil of secrecy. 

“We have to cut her down before she gets any stronger,” Amon said.  “There is a rumor going around that she’s having trouble with mastering airbending. Has she been making any progress?”

“She hasn’t mentioned anything to me,” Asami admitted. The fact that this information was news to her, Asami knew that she had a lot to do before they could move in on the girl.  Her racing heart slowed to normal and she ran a gloved hand through her hair. “Yet.”

The bodies inched their way closer to each other. Asami was hardly ever afraid of anything, but the eerie sense of indifference sent ripples down her spine. Pensive greens narrowed as Asami tried to see past the kabuki mask.  No one she has ever spoken to, not even her father, has seen who lay beneath that hard facade.   Curiosity was eating her alive.

A strong grip dug into Asami’s shoulder and snapped her back to the situation at hand.  She did her best not to wince. “You don’t want to mess this up for us, Asami.”

* * *

“Time’s up, Fire Ferrets. Off the field now,” a grumpy voice called over the intercom promptly ending their practice session. As the competition drew near, each team was allowed an hour a week on the actual field allowing the teams to get accustomed to the grounds.  The three groaned and their shoulders slumped as they tramped back to the locker rooms.

Bored out of her mind, Asami was glad when the trio was forced to move from the arena.  Practices were getting tedious to watch and got little from being there. She wasn’t one to enjoy just sitting on the sidelines while the others had all the fun. 

Having to sit an hour surrounded by the musky smell of the jockstraps and sweatbands was far from comfortable. She did her best not to touch anything that looked like it hasn’t been washed and counted the tiles on the ceiling as she kicked her legs back and forth out of boredom.   Just as she hit 1,059, the grinding gears of the ramp pulled her attention to the trio.

All three of the members greet her enthusiastically with ash and dirt covering their faces.  “Oh man, you guys don’t look so great,” Asami winced at their appearances. They all stopped in their tracks at her words just before they pulled her into a group hug. 

It was clear that their uniforms had seen their days. They frayed apart at the seams, battered and torn.  The worn armor didn’t seem to offer much cushion and created more of a hindrance than anything else.

“What’re you talking about, we did great!” Korra shouted, still bursting with excitement. Korra still wanted to give another congratulatory hug but was put off by Asami’s statement.  Turning to her partner-in-crime, she pulled Bolin into a bear hug and lifted him off his feet.

“Oh, come on, babe,” Mako called out as he moved and wrapped his arms around her waist.  His sweaty forehead pressed against hers and his thumbs slipped under the hem of her shirt.  Rough fingertips started tracing delicate skin as he whispered in her ear.  “We weren’t that bad.”

Shivers spread throughout her body and she bit her tongue from lashing out at his boldness.  Asami gripped his forearms and pulled his wandering hands from her waist and out of range.  “Come on, guys. You know I wasn’t talking about your practice.  I meant your uniforms. How old are those things anyway?” Asami asked as she shook the pad that was sliding off of Mako’s chest.

“Hmm... I’m pretty sure we inherited them from the last team that retired. Though, I’m pretty sure they can’t be more than 10 years old,” Bolin answered as his finger pointed at his chin. As if on cue, the left arm padding on Korra’s uniform hit the ground.  The two looked at each other and shrugged.  “I could be wrong.”

“Oh, man. You guys will be representing Future Industries soon, you can’t be going out there in those rags.”

Suddenly struck with inspiration, Asami turned to the only female athlete.  “Korra, stop by my place tomorrow.  Mako, Bolin, I’ll need you guys to be home after lunch. We’ll see what we can do.

With a heavy sigh, Korra knocked at the front entrance. Even though she was patrolling the Sato estate earlier that morning, she had to return to the island for her daily meditation.  Her airbending master was not allowing any slack when it came to her training, trying to force her spiritual side out of her by extending her meditations to two hours. Korra showed up as soon as she could, just after noon. Although she wasn’t in the best of moods, a grin was on her face now that she was out and moving about. Anything was better than being stuck between in and out of consciousness. 

“You’re late,” Asami answered the door and ushered the Avatar in. 

Asami walked the girl down an unfamiliar hallway and Korra took the opportunity to look around.  The humble Water Tribe native was positive that she would never become accustomed to the massive size of Asami’s residence and all the luxuries it held. Marble statues, elaborate paintings, and exotic tapestries lined the walls as far as the eye could see. 

“The boys are getting fitted for their uniforms already.  I’ll be fixing yours up myself,” Asami informed her as they slowed their pace.

“Yeah, sorry, thanks,” Korra apologized as she followed the quick-footed girl.  After turning the corner twice and passing half a dozen different rooms, Korra gave up on trying to memorize the way and trailed behind obediently.

“Tenzin’s been pretty upset that I’m not getting any closer to airbending,” Korra started to explain herself. “He _insists_ that if I can increase my pro-bending practices that his practices should be no problem.”

“And how’s that working out?” Asami asked curiously, arching a brow.  She was curious for more information but had to make sure not to show it. The duo continued down the halls and only stopped when they ran out of pathway.  Opening the door to a small tailoring room, Asami guided Korra onto a small platform in the middle.  

“Take this off,” she commanded, pointing at her outfit. Asami turned away to grab Korra’s new uniform.

“Well, it’s not really,” Korra answered as she absentmindedly dropped her pelt and pulled her shirt over her head. “I’m still no better at dodging those damned doors and meditation is just pointless.”

“Those too,” Asami instructed, gesturing at her pants. Once Korra stood in just her underwear, Asami gathered the garments and folded them, setting them in the corner. “What doors are you talking about?” she asked.  Asami took a step back and assessed Korra.  She was pretty confident that she had gotten the measurements right but there was no room for error.

“Apparently there is an ancient airbending training exercise where you move between these swinging door or gates or whatever,” Korra started to explain, using her arms for emphasis. 

Taking a measuring tape, Asami walked up to the girl and ran it across the length of her shoulders.  The light touch sent a chill down Korra’s spine and the hairs on her neck stood on end.  Asami attempted to soothe the feeling by resting her palm on her upper back. Moving on, she forced the bender’s arms to still as she measured the arm length and listened tentatively.

“He said that I need to ‘be the leaf,’” Korra air quoted and slumped in defeat.  “Whatever that means.”

Asami reached from behind to wrap the measuring device around Korra’s hips then moved to her waist.  Muscles instantly stiffened at her touch. “You need to relax,” Asami said. Languid brushes were Asami’s attempt to put Korra’s mind at ease, but unbeknownst to her, it was having the opposite effect.

It wasn’t that Korra was afraid, it was that she was uneasy.  For the bender, bodily contact usually came in the form of punches or kicks and recently she’s been fond of hugs.  But, the gentle hands that grazed her stomach sent unfamiliar tingles throughout her body. After a few calming breaths, she was proud of the fact that she was able to relax her body.  It appeared that Tenzin’s meditation sessions weren’t a complete loss. 

“Lift up your arms,” Asami instructed. Hands were wary as they moved to work around around Korra’s chest, trying to remain as professional as possible. She chewed at her lip, desperately trying her best to avoid touching any extremities.  Although her fingers itched, she fought against the urge to let her hands linger on the sculpted abdomen in reach. 

Korra’s body was the epitome of fit and it took everything within her for Asami not to just stare and appreciate the work of art in front of her.  Unlike Mako’s angular frame, Korra’s body held a softer look.  Muscles didn’t bulge out of her thin frame but, even with the slightest of movements, they refused to go unnoticed.  The heiress as glad she was standing behind the athlete, it allowed to her admire as much as she wanted without being caught.

After taking notes of the measurements, Asami cleared her throat and moved away.  She avoided temptation by not bothering to measure the girl lower half. She settled back at her desk and worked on the top.  Pulling in the sleeves and loosening a few stitches, she made the necessary adjustment before tossing it over to the girl.  As Korra pulled the top over her head, Asami held the bottoms at Korra’s waist to roughly judge the length. 

Korra shifted around until the top was comfortable and took the offered pants from Asami’s hands with a smile. She quickly stepped into those as well, glad to see a nice fit.

Pausing, Asami looked up at Korra and couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle at her frazzled hair.  For the moment, the avatar stood several inches taller than the seamstress and it was a little unsettling.  Korra jumped around in her spot, getting a feel for the new uniform.  The baggy pants allowed her legs all the freedom they needed and the improved padding lightened the load noticeably.

“So, I take it those gates are wind propelled?” Asami revived the previous conversation.  She stood back at a respectable distance as Korra got accustomed to her outfit. Once Korra stopped moving about, she stood up and moved to her.  Smoothing out the uniform, she admired her work and gave a satisfied smile. She pleased that everything more or less fit snuggly.

Korra stood still as expert hands tucked in loose fabrics and curious eyes watched as the girl worked around her.  “Well, yeah.  How did you know?”

“The leaf glides through the gates?” Asami stepped back and nodded in approval.  She grabbed the chest piece and secured it around Korra’s torso.

“Wait, what? Have you done it before?” Korra asked. Her breathing hitched as Asami pulled it tight and fastened it in the back. 

“Step into these,” Asami laid out a pair of boots in front of her and grabbed her arm guards.  Asami cleared her throat as Korra finished gearing up. “No, I haven’t done it, but I have read about it.  It supposedly didn’t have much to do with bending itself, but rather the mindset needed for it.  It was to teach you the flexibility to change.  With the wind.”

Korra jammed her feet into the boots and secured the tightly.  “Great, even a non-bender knows more about airbending than I do.”

Gritting her teeth, Asami tossed the gloves at Korra’s head. “Just because I can’t bend doesn’t mean I can’t read.”

“No!” Korra exclaimed with a hint of panic in her voice.  The bender allowed the gloves smacked her in the face, knowing that she had deserved it. “That’s not what I meant. It’s just so frustrating.  I mean, even Meelo can do it blindfolded and he’s only five!”

Korra’s sudden outburst matched Asami’s frustration and the heiress decided to let the remark slide.  Korra looked downcast as she rubbed the reddening spot on her forehead.   Soft eyes pleaded for sympathy. 

If she were being honest with herself, the Equalist wanted to stay upset.  She wanted to call the Avatar out on her bigoted statement.  She wanted show her that she could be just as much.  She wanted cleanse her of her bending and show the Avatar how it felt to be a part of the large population she belittled. She wanted to do so much, but she couldn’t. She needed to wait and play this out.

Asami let out a sigh and eyed the girl in front of her. The guilt was evident in Korra’s expression and it was hard to ignore. It wasn’t as if Asami didn’t understand the pressure that was placed on Korra’s shoulders; a similar weight rested on hers as well.

“How does that feel?” she asked as she tied on her blue sash, giving up grudge. 

The softening of Asami’s demeanor put Korra’s heart at ease and she gave a timid smile.  Korra moved about and stretched.  “I think this is pretty good.”  A few jabs in the air and swift kicks, Korra shadow boxed to test her mobility. “What is this made of? How come it’s so light?” she asked as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

Falling into the chair behind her, Asami massaged at her temples.  Exhaustion finally hit her and she berated herself for letting something so trivial like uniforms keep her up all night.   The aesthetical design was simple, but that wasn’t the problem.  To find a sturdy yet lightweight material to replace the armadillo bear shell was what proved to be most difficult.  It was only after testing several skins, shells, and leathers was she satisfied.

“It’s hippo cow hide,” she answered as a smile crept onto her face.  Korra’s dexterity seemed greatly improved from yesterday’s practice now that she had a properly tailored uniform.  The weight difference and flexibility created allowed more mobility.  The freedom provided was almost as much as her usual clothes.

“I’ve never heard of that being used before,” Korra mumbled as she back flipped off the podium.  The bender landed with her hands up in a pose and whispering a _tada_.  Asami rolled her eyes and gave a slow, sympathetic clap.

“I haven’t heard of being using before, either. I’m pretty sure it hasn’t but here’s to trying something new,” Asami straightened up and admired her work one final time.  The leather groaned as Korra continued practiced motions and jabs, letting out a few puffs of fire as well. “It won’t offer as much protection as your last uniform, but I figured if they can’t hit you, it won’t matter.”

* * *

Cheers echoed through the stadium as the teams retreated back to their locker rooms.  The Fire Ferrets continued to fire up the crowd as they shook their hands over their heads.  They took several bows as fans tried to throw flowers while the diehard ones tried to throw themselves onto the platform.  The Fire Ferrets had won their first match and were working their way to the championship.

“That was amazing, you guys!” Asami greeted the trio and Mako twirled his girlfriend around in excitement.

“Yeah! Did you see me? I was like, boom, pow, bam, take that,” Bolin jabbed in the air, swinging from side-to-side as he dodged invisible elements.  “Can’t hit me, I’m the pro-bending pro.”

Korra’s laugh boomed through the room as she watched Bolin’s exaggeration of the events.  She decided to jump in and threw a few playful swings at the boy. The two danced around each other, avoiding feeble blows with a few chuckles. 

“No, but really, Asami, these new uniforms were great,” Korra said as she splashed Bolin with the nearby bucket of water and straightened up.  Blue eyes examined her clothes as well as her teammates, not finding even a scratch. “No one could hit us. We really gotta thank the genius that came up with it.”

Mako cocked an eyebrow and pulled Asami into his side. Warm, proud smiles adorned both their faces.  “Then why don’t you?”

“Wait,” Korra asked in complete awe. Her jaw visibly dropped. “Wait, no. You? You designed these?”

“Oh, please. Don’t act so surprised,” Asami rolled her eyes and pulled away from her protector. 

“No, wait. But-” Korra was at a loss for words. “This is amazing, how, wait- what?”

“I couldn’t let my team go out in that tattered old uniform you guys had before.  You gotta make us look good out there,” Asami smiled as she spoke and playfully punched Korra’s shoulder.  “I just thought I’d take the liberty to make some minor adjustments to them.  It’s no big deal, really.”

Wide eyes examined the non-bender in disbelief. Korra was blown away that someone barely a year her senior had thought of something so ingenious. “So, you can fight, race, and design, what else are you hiding from us?” Korra asked jokingly with a laugh.

“You’ll see,” Asami winked almost flirtatiously at the girl.  “But for now, I need to go,” Asami said as she kissed her boyfriend goodbye.  “My dad wanted to talk to me about something. I take it you guys are going to go out and celebrate?”

“Or I can head home early and _we_ can celebrate,” Mako whispered as he let his lips linger on plump reds. 

“Behave,” Asami tapped his chest as she pushed away. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow?”

The pair eyed the couple with a grimace and waved their friend goodbye.  “Yeah, yeah. Sure,” they dismissed her and pulled into another group hug.

* * *

Asami leaned against the side of the chair, not wanting to take a seat.  Hiroshi sat behind his desk, stacks of blueprints sitting at his side.  His usually well-kept salt and pepper hair started to fall into his face every time he ran his hands though it.  The whole room screamed formality and Asami wondered when their father-daughter relationship morphed into such a business affair. If the fact that they seldom saw each other wasn’t bad enough, they hardly talked about things outside of Equalist or Future Industries matters when they did see each other

“I don’t like you hanging around _her_ anymore,” Hiroshi spoke.  Removing his gold-rimmed glasses, he rubbed at the bridge of his nose. The pressure allowed some relief and Hiroshi’s face relaxed.

Asami forced herself not to scoff. “I can’t just stop seeing her. She’s part of the Fire Ferrets. She’s also one of Mako’s good friends.”

Her hanging around the Avatar wasn’t something she was doing for the fun of it.  The relationship she was building wasn’t for the sake of wanting to be her friend.

“It doesn’t matter.  We’re going to strike the stadium in two weeks, during the finals. We won’t need her or their silly little team anymore.”

Teeth clenched and eyes narrowed as his words sunk in. Asami had just seen Amon two nights prior yet he hadn’t mentioned anything of an attack.  Even though she had volunteered for their most important and dangerous missions and she was in charge of dealing with all affairs pertaining to the Avatar, she still received information second hand. It appeared that Amon still didn’t feel that she was worthy enough for him to relay his plans directly.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, her voice full of spite.

“The Equalists are planning an attack on the area,” Hiroshi said, raising his brows at his usually collected daughter.  “We’re going to end this pro-bending nonsense once and for all. They’ll have two options. Either they close down the arena or we’ll attack.”

“That’s stupid,” Asami retorted with furrowed brows, her voice escalading. Asami ran her hands through her bangs, a mannerism that she seemingly picked up from her father. Amon was a mastermind. He managed to covertly organize thousands of people to rebel against norms that have been set in their world almost 10 thousand years ago.  He was no fool and Asami knew that he was smarter than that.  “He has to know they won’t cancel the finals. They need it.  It’s the only thing that keeps the city together."

“And that’s exactly what he’s counting on,” Hiroshi spoke in a booming voice.  He wasn’t fond of the way his daughter was talking back to him and disrespecting their leader. “Whoever wins the match will lose their bending.  Asami, we’re sending them a message.” Large hands slammed on the desk in front of him. “It’s time the city takes us more seriously.  It seems that all they care about is their pathetic excuse for a sport.  All that the media has been focusing on the tournaments. It’s as if they forgot that we even exist.

“We are their enemy and we’ll make it be known.  Their beloved athletes, the ones that have proven to be the best, will fall before the city at the hands of a non-bender.”

Asami looked over at her father, her commander, and reverted back to her stoic disposition.   She hadn’t thought that things would progress as readily as they had, but she masked her bewilderment. She calmed herself at the thought of the whole ‘befriending the avatar’ charade would be over soon. She recalled her yearning for a day that she would be able to live life comfortably, without lies. A life without feeling threatened or oppressed.

“You’ll need to start moving the gloves over to the stadium,” Hiroshi instructed as he settled back into his seat.  “We’ll need at least four dozen at hand.  Figure out a way to distribute them once the Equalists are inside.  There can be no suspicion on the day of the tournament so make sure your little _bending_ team doesn’t get in the way.”

“I’ll start the planning tomorrow,” Asami said before dismissing herself. 

She understood that it was time that she took her job more seriously. It was time that she proved her worth.

* * *

“You’re the best, you know that, right?” Mako slurred out in a drunken stupor.  His usually spiky hair was mussed and flopping around as he stumbled out of the door. 

The three athletes worked their way out of Narook’s and through the empty streets.  The cool air was refreshing after being in the stuffy restaurants for so long. It had seemed that Korra was the only one who could actually enjoy it, as she was the only one who could stand on her own two feet.  The boys stumbled about and tripped over themselves. 

The team captain turned to the rookie and gave her a sloppy smile.  Korra returned with a lopsided grin of her own as he draped his arm over her shoulders. If anybody were to ask, she would blame warming cheeks on the alcohol and heat.  Mako turned to her and she scrunched her nose at the harsh stench of alcohol on his breath.  “I’m being completely serious here, we wouldn’t even have made it to the semis without you!”

“Yeah! Really the best!” Bolin concurred boisterously. Wanting to get in on the fun, Bolin pushed his brother to the side and Korra was temporarily freed. She didn’t have enough time to enjoy the breathing space though.  Before she knew it, the young earthbender had lifted her up onto his shoulders. 

“Whoa, settle down there, buddy,” she called out as she laughed.

Korra balanced herself, gripping his hair as if they were reins.  He wobbled back and forth, zigzagging through the empty roads.  She had thought he had finally got used to her on his shoulders but nearly fell when he decided to start running down the street at full speed. Korra’s pleas were muddled by their laughter until Bolin took a sharp nosedive.  Tripping on the curb of the sidewalk, the tower of two fell faster than they could think and Korra barely managed to stop herself from face planting.  She stood with a pained hiss and dusted her palms off on her pants. 

“Bolin, you alright there?” she asked as she looked around and found the boy snoozing in his spot.  With a heavy sigh, Korra tugged at his shirt, trying her best to lift the boy to his feet.  When she managed to stand him up, she pulled his arm over her head so that he could lean against her. 

Through all the commotion, the only thing she got from the younger brother was a sleepy grumble and resistance. He didn’t seem to mid the small scratch on his forehead, but the deadweight was more than Korra could carry. Luckily, his big brother came to their rescue.  Mako wrapped Bolin’s free arm around his shoulder as well, and bore most of his weight.

“Korra, I really appreciate this,” Mako said. He was trying to sober up as he tripped along the road.  His heavy tongue told her that it wasn’t working very well.

“What, did you think I was just going to leave him in the ditch?” she asked with an amused laugh.  Every few steps they took, she had to shift his weight so she would drop him.  She didn’t want her teammate to wake up with two bruises on his face.

“No, not just with this.  I mean, everything.  You really saved our asses, you know?”  Mako shot a grin over to her.  “So, thanks.”

“It’s really nothing,” Korra dismissed as she fought down a blush.  Even if he reeked of alcohol, his silly drunken grin made up for it.

“I mean it!” Mako blurted.  Words gushed out of his mouth like a burst pipe. “I mean it’s so cool that you saved our team and all, but you even helped me save Bo.  We owe you, big time.  _I_ owe you big time.”

“Don’t mention it, it’s not a big deal.” Korra was losing the battle against a shy smile.  His drunken honesty was a nice change from his usual stoic self.

“And the fact that you’re so cool with Asami!” Mako continued to ramble just as she was about to send some compliments his way.  “I mean, I know you had feelings for me, but you put that aside so we could be happy. That takes a lot. That’s very big of you, Korra.”

“Ha ha,” Korra laughed nervously. “Right, no biggie.”

Korra’s stomach dropped at the mention of his girlfriend.  His current girlfriend and her new friend, Asami Sato.  Mako thought that she befriended the girl to play nice.  He believed that it was it was all so that she could be a good friend to him.  He was right, that would’ve been big of her, but the truth was so much stranger.  She had accidentally befriended the newest member of their group _despite_ the fact. In fact, she had abhorred the very idea of it when they had first met, but it was hard to hate someone that was so welcoming.  Asami Sato was so kind, generous, and thoughtful.  If she was willing to put in the effort despite their little feud, Korra figured the least she could do was try as well. 

“You know what?” Korra asked, successfully changing the subject.  “How about I help you take this lump of rock home?”

* * *

Korra kicked a pebble as she trudged around after dropping the boys off in their temporary new residence.  She had decided to surveil the Sato’s property, keeping to her promise she had made weeks prior.  Cool air to fill her lungs as she took a deep breath, enjoying the serenity that it brought.  The quiet was welcoming after such a loud and eventful day.  

A light tune caught Korra’s attention and she snapped out of her trance.  Before she knew it, she found herself following it.  It was a familiar melody, one that she was sure she had heard before. She stopped when she came face-to-face with a high wall of the manor.  The source of the music was coming from a room two stories up, most likely from the room that was still lit.  At a quarter past midnight, Korra figured it was safe to assume that the room belonged to Asami. Wanting to confirm her suspicions, Korra needed a way to get up there.

 _If I could only airbend,_ Korra scoffed internally to herself.   With a defeated huff, Korra decided on the next best thing.  Feet shoulder width apart, she braced herself before creating a solid rock platform to level her to the window.  She cringed a bit at the loud rumbling that accompanied the boost, but it was unavoidable.

Steading herself on the windowsill, she peered into the room.  She scanned the room from corner to corner and was surprised to find it completely empty. Some time between locating the source and looking through the window, the light singing had stopped. Lacking better judgment, Korra pushed through the open window and jumped inside.  She only got three steps into the room when her feet were swiped from beneath her 

Quick reflexes kicked into gear and Korra landed with her arms behind her.  Quickly, she flipped herself back up into a standing position.  Still recovering from the fall, she didn’t have much time to react when something was wrapped around her neck.  She barely had enough time to slip her hand between the object and her neck, desperately pulling to keep it from choking her.

“Korra?” Asami questioned in a hushed whisper.  

Asami instantly released her grip and unwrapped her hands from her makeshift weapon.  Dropping the sash, she rushed to Korra’s side as she collapsed to the ground. Crouching to her side, she slid a supporting arm behind the younger girl’s back to help her sit up, making sure to create a clear pathway for her to breathe. 

“Well, hello to you too,” Korra managed to choke out in a hoarse voice.  After a few rough coughs, she was finally able to steady her breathing.  She sat cross-legged in her spot and rested her arms on her knees. With a few deep breaths, she took a few moments to calm down. 

“What are you doing in here? It’s past your curfew!” Asami yelled at her in a whisper.  It didn’t matter that her property was the size of Republic City Park, it was a habit. “And what happened to your hand?”

The bed dipped as Korra took a seat. The exhaustion from the day started to settle in as the rush from Asami’s attack faded.  Curious eyes followed Asami as she turned on all the lights before disappearing into the bathroom. She returned before she could be missed with a small, clear box. 

“Well, after you left we headed to Narook’s,” Korra recapped as she settled herself on the bed.  “Shots of ginger cactus juice were going around and before I knew it, Mako and Bolin were completely gone.”

Korra started to get more animated as she spoke. Wild gestures helped emphasize her story telling and there was a smile stretching across her face as she recalled their shenanigans.   Asami had to grasp her excited hands so she’d stop flailing them about.

“So anyway, Bolin had the great idea of trying to carry me and somewhere along the line I guess I was dropped.”

“Ahh,” Asami said as she got an understanding of the situation.  She examined the cut and reasoned it wasn’t more than a mere scratch.  “That’s where this came from, I take it.”

Figuring she should at least clean the cut out, Asami moved as if on autopilot.  She dabbed astringent onto a clean cloth and took Korra’s calloused hand in her own, holding it palm up.   Making sure she wouldn’t pull away, she held on tightly and touched the fabric to the wound.

“Jeez, what is that?!” Korra cried out at the stinging sensation.

“It’ll clean your cut and help it heal quicker,” Asami reasoned as she held through her squirming for a few seconds longer. Once Asami let go, Korra brought her hand to her face and started blowing cool air onto the wound, trying to rid it of the burning feeling.  She narrowed her eyes at her assailant and shook her hand a couple of times before Asami grabbed her wrist again.  Afraid of what pain awaited her, Korra grimaced but was relieved when all Asami did was wrap a bandage around her palm.

“I think it would’ve been easier if I had just healed it myself,” Korra grumbled under her breath to herself.

Green orbs hid beneath lids as Asami chided herself. _Of course._   How could she have forgotten that Korra was a waterbender? She was the Avatar for goodness sake. She could’ve healed it faster and more efficiently on her own.

“But, thanks,” Korra said with a warm smile. “Anyway, as I was saying, someone had to make sure those numbnuts got home safely.”

“How noble of you,” Asami said and packed up the medical kit.  The image of poor little Korra having to help carry full-grown boys through the city night must’ve been quite a sight.  “Honestly, I’m surprised you weren’t fumbling along side them.”

“Yeah, well. I guess I can hold my liquor better than they can.  I _am_ from the Water Tribe.  In cold winters, we drink shots like water,” Korra boasted while flexing her arms as to prove her prowess. 

“That, and...,” she gave a pause, “I have meditation tomorrow morning.  Tenzin would murder me if I missed another one.”

 _So she has_ some _sense of self-control_ , Asami thought to herself and let out a small chuckle.  “Well, that doesn’t explain why you were sneaking into my room well past your curfew.”

“ _Well_ ,” Korra stressed, mocking the elegant, rich girl, “I figured since I was here, I should do my rounds before heading bac-”

“Wait, you actually do that?” Asami asked incredulously. Wide eyes look at the Avatar in disbelief.  She hadn’t expected Korra to actually go through with the extra security. It was a little white lie they had made up together weeks ago to try to get her out of trouble.

“Well, yeah.  Every morning and every night.  Didn’t I tell you I would?”  Korra sat up in her spot and watched as Asami moved around her room.

“Well, yeah, but I didn’t think you’d actually do it” Asami explained.  Asami settled herself back at the mirror, the spot that she was before Korra had trespassed. Green orbs met tired blue ones through the mirror and she sent a smile Korra’s way.  “You know, Mako can’t even remember to lock the door.”

“Haha, yeah, I do know.  I usually have to lock it for him,” Korra laughed, grinning back at the girl.  “You should really get a better security team.”

“Well, I’ve tried but then she got herself placed on a curfew,” Asami teased as she continued to remove her makeup. “Now I just have to hope that those two reckless ‘numbnuts’ will do the trick.”

Korra couldn’t respond, too distracted by the girl in front of her.  She watched in awe as Asami worked seamlessly, switching between different bottles. Korra had never having seen Asami without her perfectly painted face before.  She looked... softer, almost.  The dark bags under Asami’s eyes gave proof to her busy schedule and Korra couldn’t help but notice that her fair cheeks were sprinkled with light freckles. Raven hair was still damp from her shower and the weight caused her curls to appear straight. 

Asami was vaguely aware of the attention she was receiving as she stole peeks through the mirror.  Pretending as she hadn’t noticed, she continued to pull her wooden brush through her hair and turned to the seated girl.  “You know, you should really wear your hair down more often.”

Standing from her spot, Asami motioned for Korra to come over.  Korra was disoriented for a few seconds, realizing that she was caught staring.  Shaking her head to clear her mind, she brought her attention back to Asami.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Come here,” Asami beckoned over. Korra refused to move so Asami moved to pull her from spot.  The non-bender sat the avatar in front of her vanity and started to pull her ties from her hair. Korra cocked an eyebrow as gentle fingers start to comb through knotted hair.  Careful not to tug too hard, Asami worked to untangle the unruly locks.  “There, see? It suits you.”

“It gets in the way when I fight,” Korra argued at the impracticality of it.  Her hands fidgeted in her lap as they fought the urge to slap Asami’s hands away. 

“Well, you can relax here,” Asami countered. Gazes met through the reflection and she gave a comforting smile.  Fingers mindlessly continued to comb through her hair as she got lost in her thoughts.   Asami couldn’t remember the last time she was able to enjoy someone’s company like this.  The feeling of just goofing off and relaxing with a friend felt foreign.  “There’s only me here and it’s not like _I’m_ going to attack you.”

“Ha,” Korra let out a dry laugh, tempted to rub a sore spot on her ankles from her earlier fall.  “I don’t know about that.  You do pack a heavy punch.”

Even though Korra had hit the nail on the head, she couldn’t help but feel a tang of dismay.  Asami’s gaze shifted to her own hands as she allowed silky strands fall through her fingers one last time.  She scolded herself internally for acting so foolishly and started to pull away.

“No, wait,” Korra called out. She turned to face the girl behind her and caught Asami’s retreating arm before she could move out of range. “I didn’t mean- I wasn’t complaining. It’s just that I’m not used to things like, well, this.  I’ve never had a girl friend before.  Well, except for Naga, but I don’t think she really counts.”

Gentle hands found their way back to her scalp and light massages lull Korra into a daze.   Finally letting her guard down, Korra recalled the only other time she had a friend before the Fire Ferrets.  It was long ago, before she was burdened by her avatar duties and expectations.  It was the only time she was able to run around freely without worrying what others thought of her.

Asami’s quiet humming slipped through her unconsciousness and Korra started to hum along. 

“My mom used to sing this song to me as she brushed my hair,” Asami said with a nostalgic smile as she ran the comb through Korra’s hair.  The urbanite was surprised Korra had even heard the tune before; she had believed it to be a Fire Nation lullaby. 

“Every day she would take me to Republic City Park and we would eat lunch together,” she continued.  “Before I could run around with the other kids, she’d make sure my hair was nice.  But then I would go and mess it up again.”

A warm, comforting laugh filled the room as the heiress recalled such happy and distant events. Shaken from her stupor, heavy lids opened to find a pensive look on Asami’s face, stopping Korra’s heart in its tracks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY, so, I ended up changing the fitting scene around and only after I rewrote it that I realized Korra needn’t be half naked for that. Oh well, where’s the fun in being clothed around each other? Spice things up a little, girls! 
> 
> Also, from this chapter on it’s going to be more AU-y. Some of you liked that it followed the show (which I like as well) but I kind of wanted to try something new. I hope I don’t lose too many of you guys! This is a celebratory update for reaching 600 followers on tumblr! Plus, thank you for the kudos! I appreciate it and I hope this is up to your standards.
> 
> As always, please let me know what you think. What you liked, what you thought was pointless, anything. Reviews are like crack. I need my fix.


	5. Chapter 5

_With the sun high in the sky, children scattered around all corners of Republic City Park. Rowdy little boys wrestled in the grass while sweet little girls played with their dolls. Mud splattered and grass flew in all directions; tiny plastic brushes combed though synthetic hair. Mothers watched children halfheartedly as they caught up on the latest gossip._

_Attentive emeralds took it all in. One child in particular, a rowdy little girl, garnered most of their attention. Adorned in a light blue tank top, the rascal of a tyke seemed like she was on a life-or-death mission to sully her clothes. Mud was splattered across her top and the hems of her pants saw no mercy. Nothing could stop the little monster as she plowed through a flock of turtle ducks, jumping into a shallow pond._

_Musing green eyes watched as a small girl ran back and forth across the park._

" _Can I go now?" the tiny girl whined, squirming in her seat. Short legs kicked back and forth with impatience as they hung from the bench. A warm giggle filled the air was baby greens pleaded for her mother's permission._

" _Sit still, I'm almost done," a gentle voice spoke, light with laughter._

_When the wooden comb brushed through raven locks resistance free, luscious locks were pulled back with a small hairclip. With a pat on her shoulder, Yasuko finally relieved five-year old Asami from her torturous ritual._

" _Don't go too far, and remember-"_

" _Be back by five!" Asami carelessly waved off, running into the distance. Tiny feet rushed to the squad of girls sitting in the shade of gingko tree._

" _Hi!" a timid voice called out, squeaking with excitement. A bright smile shone on her face. "Can I play with you guys?"_

_A couple of heads turned to see who was talking to them while the others continued their game of house. Smiles dropped from their faces as judgmental eyes scrutinized the homely girl in front of them. They grimaced._

" _We're playing dolls," one spoke condescendingly as the other just nodded with a similar expression her face. Sitting in their matching autumn dresses, they appraised Asami's worth by her lack of finesse. "Where's yours?"_

" _I-I don't have one," Asami abashedly looked at her feet. Optimism and confidence drained out of her face. Her hands twisted her dress nervously as her feet dug into the ground. "I was hoping that I cou-"_

" _You can't play dolls without a doll, dummy," the girl dismissed. Light brown curls swung around her head as she turned her face away with such distaste, leaving no room for future discussion._

" _Who does she think she is?" Asami heard her whisper._

" _Did you even look at her dress? It looks like it hasn't been washed in days."_

" _I know, and her shoes are falling apart."_

" _Her family-"_

_Asami forced herself away, refusing to hear any more of their slandering. Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes as she forced herself to bite down a sob. Going to the park was supposed to be a good thing, a fun thing. Her parents told her playing with kids her age would be more entertaining than reading in her room alone. They had promised her that the kids would be nice, that going out would make her feel less isolated._

_They couldn't have been more wrong._

_Asami wasn't dumb; on the contrary, she was actually quite brilliant. She understood that her father had to work hours that started before the sun rose and ended well past her bedtime. She understood he didn't have the time to play with her like they used to. The fiddling with old radios and building elaborate cities out of building blocks would just have to wait. She understood that money made the world go round and that they didn't have much of it. It was apparent that luxury of getting the newest toys or pretty new dresses was something that she would not get to experience._

_But Asami was five. Just because she understood how things were and how they couldn't afford toys didn't mean she still didn't want them._

_Short legs gradually picked up into a jog and before she knew it, she was running as fast as she could. Tiny hands were clenched in a tight fist as they fought the urge to wipe away at the tears forming in her eyes._

_The gap between her and her mother seemed an unfathomable distance away. No matter how fast she ran it was never fast enough. It felt as if hundreds of eyes bore into her back, ridiculing her. She stumbled along, resisting the urge to curl up into a ball right then and there. She needed her mom. She needed her warm hands to comb through her long locks. She needed her soothing voice to calm her like it always did when she was upset._

" _Watch where you're going, loser!" a brash voice spat at her._

_Though her blind running, she collided straight into a wall of a boy. Tears teetered on the edge as she looked up from her position on her butt. Slowly, she inched away from the hefty boy who towered over her. Her feet picked up as she desperately kicked against the ground, trying to squirm away. The tears that could no longer be held back and streamed down her face freely._

" _Aren't you going to say sorry?" he demanded, taking a step closer with an menacing grin. With every inch she moved away, he closed it. Corning his prey, he was not going to let little Asami out of his reach._

" _I-I'm so-" Asami started but was cut off._

" _What is that?" the bully asked as his body shook with laughter. A grin spread across his face, finding pride in his torment. "Guys, guys. Get over here!"_

" _Isn't your daddy that shoe shiner? Why are your shoes so junky?" a thinner boy walked up and pointed at her feet._

" _He's not just a shoe shiner!" Asami cried out defensively._

_"Oh, that's right," the apparent leader of the gang recalled with a laugh. "He's planning on building a moving box!"_

_The other boys joined in his laughter. "My dad said that that he wanted to replace earthbender trains. A box that can move people without any bending."_

" _Ha! He better not quit his day job," the quietest boy chimed in, earning a laugh. "What is he going to do? Cast magic it on it?"_

" _Non-benders trying to be as cool as earthbenders, as if. They can't do anything right."_

" _Gimme this," the skinny boy snatched her shoe off the ground as Asami reached for it. "They look like they're-" he paused and lit a small flame, setting the sandal on fire._

" _What are you doing?!" Asami cried out as she watched the leather burn. The novice firebender couldn't maintain the spark for long, only able to create a small hole in the sole._

" _Here," the larger bully snatched Asami's other shoe right off her foot where she was frozen in her spot. Terrified eyes watched with horror._

" _Give that back!" she cried as outrage surged through her veins. She jumped to her feet and snatched her footwear from the boy. In a burst of courage, whacked him in the head with it._

" _Oh, you're going to regret that!" he whined, his voice cracking._

_Asami knew that she had not made the wisest decision when she saw red eyes that flickered with anger. With each step the firebender took her heart rate increased. She stood her ground as long as she could, only to curl into a ball and hide behind her arms. The heat from the small puff of fire burned much too closely for Asami's liking._

_The lick of fire didn't last long but it was enough to scare her from putting up any more of a fight. The trio laughed at her as she tried to back away and the heftiest boy managed to hover a rock, poised to throw it in her direction. Watery eyes nailed themselves shut as she waited for the impact. But none came._

" _You leave her alone!" a small but firm voice demanded._

_The little rascal she recognized from earlier stood between her and the three bullies. Asami examined the girl with awe. Her beautiful skin was a shade darker than most of the other kids' that she had ever met and she wore the traditional Water Tribe blue. Her hair was tied into three little sections and jutted out haphazardly. Clenched fists rested on her hips and she jutted her chest out, trying to give the appearance that she was much larger than she actually was. Even though she appeared to be younger than any of them, she guarded Asami with complete conviction._

_After a short pause, the trio of boys exchanged glances before bursting out into a loud laughter. "And who do you think you are?"_

" _I'm the bringer of peas!" she boasted, her voice breaming with pride. She continued to stand unfazed by the boys' teasing outburst. Just as one reached to snatch the shoe away again, she shoved him back with all her strength._

" _Oh, yeah? And wha'chu gonna do about it?" the lanky boy taunted as the head bully pulled himself up to his feet. Another puff of fire flew in her direction but brave girl stood unflinchingly._

_If only for a brief moment, a small look of conflict passed over the young girl's tenacious face but it fled as quickly as it had appeared._

" _I'm not afraid of you," she said as she stood her ground._

_The three looked at each other and laughed to themselves. They each took a few steps closer and teary eyes widened in fear.  
_

" _Let's go," Asami timid voice called. She tugged and tugged on her savior's arm but got no response._

" _No, they can't just do whatever they want," she defiant girl protested, refusing to budge an inch._

" _Please," Asami begged. She pulled harder. "Really, it's okay. Let's just go."_

_Crystal blues peered down at the muddled greens and her defiant pout melted into something softer._

" _You better listen to her, you don't know who you're messing with."_

_Eyes narrowed as her attention snapped back to the boys. Fingers gestured between her eyes and theirs, making sure that they know she's going to keep an eye on them. It took all within her not to punch the older bully in the face but the secure grip on her wrist helped soothe her temper._

" _You better leave her alone next time!" she called out at them as she allowed the teary eyed girl to pull her away._

" _Thank you," Asami whispered. Tiny legs slowed from their quickened gallop to a small trot. Heavy emeralds refused to look up as she treaded carefully along the sidewalk. Pale feet were caked in dirt from running through the mud and she knew she'd have to explain to her parents what happened. "I hate those boys," Asami spat almost bitterly._

_Korra's former grumpy pout washed off her face as she caught sight of the silent tears that fell from the girl's face._

" _Hey! Don't worry!" Korra exclaimed as she threw her arms in the air in desperate attempts to distract her. She gave a goofy grin, showing off her missing front tooth, "They can't bother you as long as I'm around."_

_Teary eyes glanced up and her eyebrows furrowed instantly at the sight in front of her. "You're hurt!" her voice cracked as she cried out. She rummaged through her pockets, searching for her handkerchief. Asami pressed the corner of the cloth up to the small cut running through Korra's left eyebrow. She had no doubt that it came from when the bully rockbent pebbles at her. "I'm sorry..."_

_Bright blues crisscrossed as they tried to watch as her new friend fussed about her. "I'm fine, really," Korra said with a goofy grin. Small dark hands took hold of paler wrists, moving them away._

_Surrounded by waterbenders growing up, there was never a time where a healer wasn't more than a few feet away from young avatar. On top of that, her newest teacher, Master Katara, was the best healer in the whole tribe. Despite being completely rambunctious, someone was always there to take care of any injuries she sustained through her adventures. That's why when she felt small lips pressing on her forehead she was in complete disarray._

" _What was that for?" Korra asked, cocking an eyebrow at the older girl, causing the injury to smart._

_On the other hand, there was Asami who hadn't thought much of her actions because to her, kisses were the best medicine. Whenever she would fall or hurt herself, even in the slightest, her mother would was quickly clean and dress it, then, a kiss was placed on the booboo to insure that it would feel better. It was a trick that had always worked for her._

" _Doesn't it feel better?" she asked, confused by Korra's reaction._

" _Hmm..." Korra thought out loud. The sharp stinging was still there but she didn't want to shatter the expectant look on Asami's face. "Maybe. Try again?"_

_A blush warmed Asami's cheeks as she tiptoed to place another kiss near the cut. Just to be sure, she added an extra peck. "How about now?"_

" _Much," Korra said as she gave a toothy, or rather toothless, grin. The genuine concern radiated off of her being. Hope was apparent in her voice and Korra didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise. "Thank you."_

_And just as she had hoped, Asami's eyes lit up._

" _What are you doing?" the raven-haired girl squeaked out as she felt herself being lifted onto the girls back. "Put me down!"_

_Tiny fists pounded against Korra's back in protest but after a few moments of struggle, Asami had finally given in. She allowed herself to be piggybacked around by the zealous girl, secretly loving every second of it. Accepting defeat, long arms wrapped around the girls neck and she rested her chin on her shoulder._

_Despite her external confidence, Korra grunted as she struggled to hold the girl up. The young avatar wanted to show off to her new friend so she did everything she could to not show that she really wasn't strong enough to carry her far. With a quickened pace, she walked them toward the edge of the pond. "Those hoodlums ruined your shoes."_

_Asami's cheeks puffed out as she stifled a laugh at Korra's lexicon. It was apparent that she had picked up her vocabulary from someone much older than her._

" _I'm used to it," she spoke without any hint of malice. Her voice's softness gave away her emotions; all of her feelings of dread were slowly melting away by the stranger's unsuspecting warmth._

_Korra froze, bewildered by small girl's statement. She shuffled a bit to situate her passenger better. "How could anyone hit someone as snazzy as you?"_

_Lanky arms and legs tightened around the body holding her up and a teary face buried into the soft fabric of the baby blue shirt._

Ugly. Stupid. Fat. Poor. Lame. _Asami had been called them all. Her parents told her over and over again to just ignore anything anyone had to say about her. She had learned to stop letting others' words affect her._

_But this stranger's words sunk through to her heart. For the first time, it wasn't words that tried to tear her down into nothing, but words that cared. They were words that she could build skyscrapers with. A small fluttering feeling arose in her stomach and the warmth from her chest spread to her face. She was speechless._

_Once they reached their destination, Korra attempted to set the girl down but the needy arms around her only tightened as she lowered herself to the ground. Asami hadn't said a word since she received the compliment and Korra was starting to worry that she had said something that upset her._

_The young waterbender picked at her mind, trying to pinpoint exactly when the conversation had turned sour. She had called the boys hoodlums and then she called the girl snazzy. She wasn't entirely sure what either of the words meant, but she didn't think that she had used them incorrectly. When she had said it, she was almost positive that hoodlums were bad people and snazzy meant pretty._

_Korra sat down on the grass and slumped over and Asami slid down her back until she was seated behind her. Pale cheeks rested against the heroine's steady form as arms continued to stay encircled around her waist. Asami refused to let go._

" _I'm sorry. I said something dumb, didn't I?" Korra tried to turn around to face Asami but adamant arms wouldn't let her. She could feel Asami fervently shaking her head in opposition and confusion set on her face. "What did I do then?"_

" _Nothing. You didn't-" Asami hiccupped. "It's- nothing."_

_Silence returned, neither knowing what to say. Even after arms had released Korra from the grip, she was too afraid she would say something wrong and mess things up again. She knew something was bothering the girl and she refused to make it worse._

" _Asami!" a light voice called from across the pond, pulling both of the children's attention to it. "Asami, where are you?"_

_Green eyes peaked from over the taller girl's shoulder, trying to stay hidden behind her new friend. She hadn't noticed how the sun was starting to set. Turning to the clock towering in the center of the park, she realized that she was supposed to have been back over 15 minutes ago._

" _I-I gotta go!" Asami murmured as she scrambled to her feet._

" _You better be careful," Korra laughed as steady arms caught the little girl before she fell flat on her face. A silly grin spread across Korra's features._

_Asami could see how worried her mother looked as she scanned the vast area of the park but she didn't want to leave. "Will you be here tomorrow?" she asked, her voice was rushed and panicked yet ringing with hope._

_An eyebrow arched as Korra thought about it. She wasn't sure when she would be back but she knew she'd do whatever it took to see this girl again. "Of course. Will you?"_

_Long raven locks bounced as Asami nodded her head excitedly with an eager smile. She stood up, preparing herself to run into her mother's arms "Mommy and I will be here every day. I gotta go now." Worried eyes darted back and forth between the girl and her mother. Her heart ached as she was forced to make a decision. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"_

" _Count on it!" Korra leaned back onto her palms gave a broad smile and waved the girl off._

_Asami stilled momentarily, eyes focusing on the small cut on the girl's face. Without saying another word, she placed her lips upon her eyebrow once again before dashing away. A stunned Korra sat dumbly until a warm blush started to spread across her face._

* * *

_Days passed peacefully. The two girls got along unbelievably well as they found themselves enjoying each other's company for hours on end. Asami had felt genuinely happy for the first time since she could remember._

_Focusing all of her attention, Asami sculpted a miniature scaled Republic City in the sandbox. The sun was already starting to fall below the horizon as time went unnoticed. Completely absorbed in her work, she wasn't even aware of the fact that her playmate was missing._

" _Korra! Come look at this," she beckoned out in excitement after putting the finishing touch on her masterpiece. Green eyes focused on the playground as searched for the other girl._

" _Korra?" she called. A feeling of uncertainty and fear started to arise again. Without her protector, she was vulnerable. She set out to find her best friend only to dash behind a small pagoda when she heard familiar voices._

" _Why do you hang out with that loser?" a rough voice asks with a laugh. "You're too cool for her. Just hang with us."_

 _Asami's heart dropped as she clenched onto solid rock. A frown took over her expression and she felt tears building up again._ 'Be strong' _she told herself_. 'What would Korra think of you if she saw you crying again?'

" _I'm too cool for you!" Korra yelled back. Asami could see her pushing the significantly bigger boy without hesitation. "She's too cool for you."_

" _Please, like she can do anything," the firebender bully chuckled._

" _She doesn't have to do anything to be better than you! She's my friend! You gotta deal with it!" she growled back at them. Rage filled the tiny body and her nails dug into her palms. "Just leave us alone!"_

_Worn leather boots stomped away from the gang. Her whole body tensed when sorry sapphire eyes met sorrowful jades. Her fist balled up as her fury burned hotter._

_Korra snatched Asami's arm and yanked her away. The little Republic City native struggled to keep up, occasionally tripping on her own feet. She had upset Korra and she didn't know what she had done._

" _I'm sorry," both voiced called out at the same time._

_Bushy eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Why are you sorry?" Korra asked. Her voice was harsher than she intended to be, but she was still seething from the previous encounter._

" _You shouldn't have to hang out with me-" Asami was cut off when she was pushed onto the ground. Harsh eyes bored down at her and the look of distress spread across her face._

" _Don't do that! Stop saying you're nothing! I know I don't_ have _to hang out with you." Korra started off on a rant, finally able to vent. Korra had to bite her tongue so she wouldn't lash out anymore._

" _I'm sorry," she started again, knowing how she had hurt the other girl. Her voice calmed and she plopped down on the ground next to her. Dirty hands tried their best to wipe the tears from Asami's fair cheeks. "I just don't understand. Why they're so horrible to you?!"_

" _It's okay," Asami gave a faint smile as her cheeks tinted pink. Tiny hands gripped at the girl's clothes tightly. "I don't need them, I have you."_

" _I'm going protect you from everyone!" Korra declared loudly and proudly, pounding a sound fist to her chest. "I swear it!"_

_The girls shared a laugh and Asami was finally able show off her hard work. The sparkle in Korra's eye was well worth all the hours that she had invested into her project. The girl admired the intricate detail of each of the buildings as Asami admired the joy on Korra's face._

_Asami felt a swell in her chest as she realized what it was like to finally have a friend._

_It was only moments later that Korra was covered in sand as she demolished the town. Proclaiming to be a giant canyon crawler, she destroyed buildings with much gusto. It had taken some convincing and pleading on Korra's end, but Asami didn't have the heart to deny her the happiness. Bright orbs watched from the sidelines with a smile that was glaringly bright._

_Korra was gasping for breath once the laughter finally died down and there was no trace of a city left. Asami placed her hands on the girl's slightly taller shoulders and stood on her tiptoes._

" _I'll see you tomorrow, right?" she asked, already knowing the answer. As usual, the day ended with her ritual of kissing the small scar that cut through the brunette's eyebrow._

" _Of course," Korra said with a silly grin. Her heart swelled as she felt the feathery touch._

_Despite being scolded for not taking care of the cut earlier, she was glad that Master Katara couldn't heal the abrasion completely. Without the small remaining mark, she couldn't have convinced the girl that she still needed kisses for it. It was her little secret._

_Well, one of her little secrets._

" _Wait," Korra reached out before Asami pulled away. "Can I tell you something?"_

_Bright green eyes lit up at the question. "Of course. You can tell me anything."_

" _You can't tell anyone. You gotta promise me." Korra's brows furrowed in seriousness. A tiny pinky was presented to the non-bender to engage in the sacred ritual of a pinky promise. Without hesitation, Asami took it in her own and shook on it._

" _Asami!" Yasuko called out, looking for her daughter._

_Asami frowned at being cut off before she got any of the top-secret information and squeezed their interlocked pinkies tighter. "Can you tell me tomorrow?" she asked as she heard her mother calling for her again._

" _I-" Korra started. She wanted to get it off of her chest now. She wanted her to know more than anything and she had been building up her courage for days to get it off her chest. It was important to her, but she also knew how important being on time was to the other girl._

_She dropped her hand and let her go. "Yeah, tomorrow then."_

_Her face burned when she felt lips touch her skin once more. Only this time, she felt Asami's soft, warm lips on her cheek._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. There are no excuses for this being so late, but I'm going to give you some anyway. I wasn't particularly motived to write this section because I was honestly scared how you guys would react to it. I haven't written anything so out of canon before and it was stressful trying to keep it in sync with the actual storyline as well. Also, I have just been feeling like poop lately.
> 
> I promised myself I'd update a chapter for every 100 followers I get on tumblr, but this is way over due. I'll try to get the next two out on time though! I'm pretty excited for the angst.
> 
> I know I always ask for feedback and some of you very kind and give it to me, but this chapter in particular I'm very wary about. I'm terribly curious about your thoughts on this, so please, please let me know!


	6. Chapter 6

A stream of water wizzed past the Fire Ferret's water bender, nearly nicking her ear. There was a loud grunt from behind her when Bolin was knocked back. She should've redirected it, it was her element, but she hadn't thought fast enough. Because of her, the Fire Ferret's earthbender was pushed in zone three leaving Mako and Korra to struggle to hold their own in one. An onslaught of flames was focused at the waterbender and she flipped out of range. Just barely landing on her two feet, she was taken back when an earthen disk nailed her in the gut. She now stood with Bolin back in zone three. Three elements targeted the one remaining in the front and it before anyone could blink, Mako was pushed back into Bolin. Caught off guard, both were sent straight to the pool below.

Korra was left to hold her ground on her own. She sent wave after wave at the Buzzard Wasps, focusing on one opponent at a time. Fire was the easiest to take out first. One down. Without missing a beat, she shifted to the earthbender, pushing him back out of Fire Ferret territory and into their own with his buddy. Before she could start on the remaining obstacle, she was knocked back into the pool by her own element.

"What's wrong with you?" Mako spit out, dusting water from his hair. The trio rode the lift back to the field. Anger and defeat left a sour taste in their mouths and their faces weren't any more pleasant. "You were supposed to take care of water. We discussed this before the match!"

The Avatar narrowed her eyes at her teammate, not having the patience to deal with him. She had been out of sorts for the last couple of nights. It really wasn't her fault her head wasn't completely in the game. Her mind and body were exhausted with late night raids with the Task Force. Not to mention her constant frustration with Tenzin and airbending training. If that weren't enough to completely destroy her concentration, memories of a distant past were hitting her like a freight train.

Asami. There was no way that this woman that stumbled in to her life was the same little girl from the park. The girl she had known was a shy, timid child. The shorter girl was younger than her, wasn't she? How could the most elegant and affluential woman in Republic City be the awkward little girl that would cower behind her legs?

"And that's the bell!" the announcer declared.

Korra was pulled back from her daze by the sound of the booing resonating throughout the stadium. High-strung and on edge, confused eyes darted around the crowd. The unhappy crowd did nothing to hide their dissatisfaction as they chucked their drinks over the railing. Obscene gestures we directed their way as the crowd flicked her off and yelled at the top of their lungs.

" _Get a real athlete,_ " she heard them yell, booing her without moderation.  _"Go back to your Tribe. You don't be long on the field."_

Rage bubbled to the surface and she bit her cheek to stop her from lashing out. Bright lights dimmed the faces in the stands but did nothing to muffle their chants of distain.

 _It's not worth getting disqualified for_ , she chanted over and over in her head.  _Don't do anything stupid._

An eerie silence enveloped her as all sounds but her own heavy breathing stopped. Through the thick of the crowd, bright sapphires managed to focus on one person. At the upper corner of the stands there was their team manager.

Standing from her VIP seating reserved for her and her father, the heiress leaned forward over the railing watching with concern.  _What's going on?_  Asami's demeanor screamed at her. Concerned orbs focused on her team, desperately wanting to do something to help.

The distance from the field and the stands was too great to read anything off of girl's face, but she knew that she was letting her down. She was letting her team down and along with it, all the hundreds if not thousands of fans.

Korra spread her legs as she readied herself. Taking her position, she raised her arms near her face and she kept a steady gaze on her target. A wide grin spread across her face and the look of confusion on their opponents face only made it wider.

At the sound of the bell, she swung from her left, trying to catch their earthbender off guard. It had worked for one hit, but then whole swarm of Buzzard Wasps directed their assault solely on her.

Flame after rock was avoided but only worked for so long. She quickly ran out of jumping space and she was bombarded with all the elements. Blows to the gut sucked the air out of her. The new uniforms had been proven to be great, but what she would've done for a little extra padding at the moment. Before she knew it, Korra was standing in zone three.

"This is impossible!" Mako said after he took a hit and ended up in end zone with his teammate. All of their efforts were futile. Every time they found an upper hand, it was knocked out of them, literally.

"Aaaand the Buzzard Wasps advance to zone one of enemy territory!" the stadium echoed. Overconfident grins spread across their opponents' faces as they took a step forward. "Wowzers, you guys. What's going on with the Fire Ferrets tonight? They sure are taking a beating. Bolin has to hold his ground in zone two if- Oh and there he goes!"

Korra was still catching her breath but the Buzzards Wasps showed no mercy. Determined to proceed to zone two, Bolin was singled out until he was pushed back off the end of the platform. Their anchor was out of the ring and now Korra and Mako were left to deal with trigger-happy team.

"And there goes Mako! Down in the water to join his brother!"

The semi-finals were in a completely different league compared to the preliminaries. Korra panting hard and she needed to take a few seconds to catch her breath. The daunting team took their time as they took a step forward into Fire Ferret's zone two. Eyes grazed the audience and disappointed looks decorated their side of the stands. She desperately searched for one face.

Her intense gaze was concentrated on her, absorbed in her every move. Hands paled with the intense grip on the railing as she leaned over in anticipation.

"COME ON, KORRA! YOU CAN DO IT!" a single voice stood out among the crowd.

The corner of the bender's lips rose to form a sloppy grin. There was no way that Korra was going to let her down. She wouldn't. She couldn't. Asami had given them too much for her to mess it up here. Mako and Bolin were both riding on the competition as well. She owed to each of them.

With newfound determination, Korra calmed herself. She took three calming breaths and shifted to offence. A steady flow of water wrapped around her and with short jabs, she punched out quick spurts of water. First to go down was the waterbender. Payback.

Next in line was the earthbender. Her hits weren't hard has his but they wore down his guard. There was a pause in her assault to sidestep a few disks being flung her way, but picked it back up without hitch. The green Buzzard Wasp teetered on the heels of his feet when she shot a torrent directly at his chest. The knockback forced the player out of the ring. Without taking a second to breathe, Korra jumped back into the air, pulling a fresh flow of water with her. After pounding the remaining player into the ground, she swung her body around, forcing a strong jet of water to wipe the floor, flooding out the other team in its entirety.

"I can't believe it!" Shiro Shirobi's voice yelled over the electrified crowd. "I just can  _not_  believe it!"

Out of breath, Korra wore a full smile as she took in the excited arena around her. Too tired to even lift a hand, she collapsed back onto element worn floor if only for a moment.

"There you have it folks! The Fire Ferret's very own Avatar Korra is single-handedly carrying her team on a wave straight to the finals!"

Three rings of the bell signaled the clearing of the area and Korra knew that she needed to get off of the grounds so they could be cleaned to prep it for the next round. The mechanical rumbling signaled to her to take her leave and she stumbled off of to the waiting room.

"Stick around ladies and gents to see who the final team to advance to the finals will be. Will it be the Makapu Moose Lions or the defending champions, the White Falls Wolfbats? Well, we all know who my money is on!"

With a heavy sigh, Korra plopped herself down on the bench. "What happened out there?" Mako's voice rang sharply.

"What are you talking about?" Korra cocked an eyebrow at the boy. After stealing the victory, by herself nonetheless, she was not expecting to be greeted so unwelcomingly.

"You were all over the place!" he shouted.

"Excuse me!" Korra exclaimed, jumping to her feet. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. Her expression in a pout, she would not take his admonition sitting down.

"Oh, come on, Bro. Korra saved our butts out there!" Bolin pushed his way into the conversation, trying to play peacekeeper.

"Yeah,  _Bro_. I basically carried your deadweight to finals," she spat. Even standing at full height, she was nowhere near to eyelevel with the firebender. Just because she was small didn't mean she was going to roll over and play good.

"We can't expect the win the championships if you continue to play like you did tonight," the captain chided.

"What? You mean  _winning_? Sure doesn't seem like something you were doing today," she snarled at him.

"I mean, missing targets and tripping on your own feet!" he stated.

"I didn't see you doing anything out there!" she spat back stepping closer to his face.

"Guys, guys. This is not how a team should behave. We can work something out," Bolin said as he pushed his teammates apart.

"You'll have an extra hour of practice every day until the finals" Mako declared with finality. There was no room for discussion.

"And just who do you think you are?" Korra asked, jamming her finger into his chest. Even if she were willing to come to extra practices, it wasn't like she really had the time to spare.

Sharp eyebrows furrowed as Mako took a step forward. It was clear he didn't like it when he wasn't in control of a conversation. Just as he was about to voice his opinion, the door swung open with a bang.

"Great job!" Asami flew in and wrapped her arms around Mako's shoulders and in turn pushing the two hostile players apart. Despite her grand entrance, no one seemed phased.

The room was buzzing with tension and it didn't go unnoticed by the heiress. With the way they were playing, she knew that there had to be a reason. She needed the team to be on their game for the finals, she had a lot riding on them.

She tried her hand at easing the team into neutral ground and lightening up the mood. Keeping her arms wrapped around Mako's form, the team manager turned to their star player.

"What a comeback, Korra," Asami said with a wide grin, not in the least be insincere. "I've never seen a hat trick like that."

Even though she was fuming, Korra's face lost all hostility. Both brows rose to her hairline, genuinely taken aback by the compliment. It took a moment to shake off her surprise but she finally found herself able to talk again. "Thanks," she said as she took a few steps closer to her friend. "But, if it hadn't been for you and your father, we wouldn't have had the chance to play. So, thank you."

Bolin sat on the bench as he tried to follow along. Asami's arrival had changed both Mako's and Korra's attitude completely and he was about to point it out their strange behavior. Just as he moved to speak his mind he let out a sharp hiss instead.

"You know, I'd hate to break up the little love fest going on in here, but I could use a little help here."

Korra tore her attention from the girl and made her way over to the injured boy. Asami couldn't help but watch curiously over her shoulder as Mako led her away.

* * *

"That no good, self-righteous son-of a-" Korra yelled, letting off steam. Bursts of water were directed at pictures of the Fire Ferret's team captain. "Who does he think he is? Telling me to practice harder. Who does he think won the game?!"

Streams of water became shards of ice as she lost concentration. Even though the firebender's picture was in complete shreds on the floor, the onslaught continued at a now invisible target. Pent up rage started flowing out of her body and the nearby heavy disks were added into the mix. A few minutes later, she ended with a strong fire combo to finish the job.

"I think you got it," a voice sang out from the doorway.

Leaning her hip against the doorframe, Asami stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest. A small smirk was visible beneath those painted lips and she held her position for a moment before stepping into the practice room. The usual stuffiness in the room was amplified with a combination of Korra's workout and her little finale.

"Where are the boys?" she asked.

Korra wiped her brow, flinging sweat onto the ground without care. She was still trying to catch her breath as she spoke. "Apparently I'm the  _only_  one that needs extra practice."

"Even though you're the reason they won the last game?" Asami asked bemused.

"That's what I said!" Korra exclaimed as she roundhouse kicked a nearby punching bag. Without meaning to, she had set the case aflame and quickly doused it with the water from the nearby bucket. "This is ridiculous. An extra hour a day? I don't have time for this!

"Tenzin is on my case nonstop, Tarrlock thinks the equalists are planning something big, and the only timeslot open for the gym was at 9! Who is up at this  _ungodly_  hour?" Korra expressed. Each statement had extra punch as took a few hard jabs at the bag.

"Whoa, whoa, settle down there, tigerdillo" Asami said as she rest her arm on Korra's bicep. She gave the tense muscle a squeeze and tugged her away from the bag before she tore a hole in it.

Korra stood her ground as determined eyes stared down the mustard yellow bag. It was only after a few firm tugs that she allowed herself to be guided away. Her gaze never once left and silently swore to get back it later, as if it had personally offended her.

When her view was blocked, her attention shifted to the taller girl. She fell onto the nearby bench and her body slumped in defeat. "Speaking of which, why are you here so early?" she asked once her pulse returned to normal.

She graciously took the clean towel handed to her and wiped her face dry. It had seemed that Asami was completely unfazed by the stench of the gym; she had spent enough time with the trio become immune. Even so, it was unnerving for Korra to be covered in dirt and grime while standing next to someone so pristine like Asami Sato.

"I had some business to take care of," she responded. Without a thought, the team manager grabbed Korra's water bottle and tossed it at athlete.

"At this hour?" she asked after she downed the bottle. "Do you ever rest?"

"Would you even believe me if I said yes?" Asami said, her voice light with mirth and took a seat next to the exhausted waterbender.

"You're right. I wouldn't," Korra shook her head. "Man, it sucks to be you."

Running a hand through her bangs, for the briefest moment, Asami let her business demeanor drop. With a heavy breath, her shoulders slumped and her eyes gave a look of defeat. A set daily routine helped her plow through long days and made it easier to deal with the sleep deficiency, but it was more of her strength of will that made her push herself so hard. Fatigue was starting to settle on her face and it wasn't something that she enjoyed. She was worn.

"You get used to it," her answer was short.

And it was a fact. Korra knew that Asami was an important figure in Republic City. It wasn't odd that she had to make appearances at galas or show up for meetings as the manager of the Fire Ferrets or whatever she had found to do in her free time. That was a life that Korra would have to get accustomed to. There were meetings to attend, criminals to apprehend, Equalists to defeat, games to win; the list was endless.

"That sucks," Korra said with a pout.

"It does," Asami said, dismissing it with a shrug. You have to work hard for things you find important.

Asami slapped her hand on Korra's thigh before hoisting herself up. "Get cleaned up. I'm hungry and I'm feeling a bit generous today. I've decided to take you out for some food."

With a playful smile, Asami offered her hand to pull Korra and a sturdy grip took ahold. Just as Korra was about to take her up on that offer, a realization hit her. "Wait, isn't it kind of early for lunch?"

"Well, it's a perfect time for brunch," Asami dismissed with a shrug not seeing what the big deal was.

"Wh- What is a  _brunch_?" the word sounds odd coming from unfamiliar lips.

"Oh, you know, the meal between breakfast and lunch?" a perfectly groomed eyebrow questioned.

"Wait, did you just make that word up? How many meals do you city folk eat?" Korra asked. She couldn't tell if the other girl was pulling her leg or being serious.

"Look, do you want to get food or not?" she offered as politely as she could at this point.

"Well... I was kind of hoping you'd be willing to spar with me for a bit," Korra said as she hopped from foot to foot.

"Not today, Korra. Maybe some other time," Asami dismissed half-heartedly.

There was an odd air of silence and it confused the heiress. Slowly, the ends of Korra's mouth curled into a grin. "You're scared."

"I am not  _scared_. It's just too early in the morning," Asami scoffed. "Also, it's disgusting in here."

"Whatever you say," Korra singsonged " _Princess_."

"Do not call me that," Asami narrowed her eyes at the girl.

"Or what? You're going to kick my ass?" Korra shrugged carelessly. With her over turned hand she signaled her to come, goading the Equalist. "Bring it."

"I'm not going to fall for your silly mind games, Korra."

"Admit it, you're terrified." Muscular arms crossed in front of Korra's chest and she made no attempts at modesty. She was purposely flexing and a smug grin crossed her face when she noticed the small hiccup in Asami's comebacks.

"No," Asami coughed and gathered herself. "I'm hungry."

There was a brief moment were urbanite debated about educating the girl about the word hangry or at least demonstrating it, but she decided that she had confused naive foreigner enough for one day. "Tell you what, you can either join me or continue to beat up that bag over there."

"No, wait! I'm coming!" Korra called back as Asami turned to walk away. Taking the near by pail, Korra doused herself in water. Bright baby blues peered through the curtain of hair and she tilted her head in question at the odd look she was receiving. She shrugged her shoulders, not really caring, and shook her body. Water droplets flew in every direction.

"Ready!" Korra grinned.

After her little daze, Asami snapped back to the present and shook her arm to rid it of the spray. "Let me guess, you learned that from Naga?" she asked with a laugh.

"What? It was better than having you wait for me to shower," Korra explained with a pout. "Or, would you rather me smell like a pentapox left out in the sun?"

"Alright, alright," Asami shook her head in defeat; amusement rang in her voice. "Let's get going, pup."

"Don't call me that."

* * *

"You sure you want to eat  _here_?" Asami asked skeptically.

After a short debate about where they should eat, Asami agreed to let Korra choose the venue. When Korra had asked if she could choose anywhere, Asami had assumed she as worried about the price range. Needless to say, she was shocked when they walked down a dank alleyway to a small hole-in-the wall restaurant.

"Avatar Korra! It's an honor to see you again!" a booming voice greeted as the pair watched through the hanging partition. The bull of a man placed two glasses of water on the table and dark blue eyes scanned his patrons. "And, if it isn't Future Industries' Miss Sato. What brings you two here today?"

Korra leapt to her feet at the sight of his mug and the second she did, she was pulled into a polar bear dog of a hug. Strong arms squeezed her tightly and she went limp before she was finally released back onto her feet. "Well, I thought I'd show Miss Sato here the best Water Tribe grub Republic City has to offer."

"Ha," the man bellowed and clapped the bender on the back propelling her forward. The wind was knocked out of her lungs throws Korra into a coughing fit. "A pretty words aren't going to get you and your team out of trouble. Last time you were here, you nearly destroyed the place!"

"It wasn't me!" Korra exclaimed. "To be fair, it was the other customers that tried to get us drunk."

As the two exchanged pleasantries, Asami quietly observed. There weren't many incidents that she had seen the Avatar interact with civilians but had seemed that she got along with almost everyone; as long as they weren't persons of authority, that is.

"Let me guess, seaweed noodles and lychee juice?" the man asked.

"Oh man, I don't want to be predicable," Korra frowned a bit and her faced scrunched as she thought.

"Something new today?"

After a small pause, she gave in and ordered her usual. Not knowing much about Water Tribe cuisine, Asami decided to do the same.

"So, you come here often, I take it" Asami said once their orders were placed.

"Once in a while. Whenever I miss home or just want some real food," Korra explained. "No offence to Pema."

Light laughter filled the air. "I'm sure she understands. A meat-free diet isn't for everyone."

"Tell me about it! Where is the artic hen? The pickled fish? Oh man, I would kill for some five-flavor soup!"

There was a pause in the conversation. Ice clinked around in the glass as it melted and there was a gentle waft coming from the kitchen. There were no other patrons in the restaurant and only a faint arguing could be heard from the owners.

"You must really miss home," Asami said, breaking their silence.

"A bit," Korra said trying to shrug it off. Her finger traced patterns her glass, using it as a distraction. "It's all I knew my whole life until moving here. Just- Just a lot of good memories, you know?"

It was hard for Asami to imagine that feeling. She was never one to be longing for the days of her childhood, nor was she sentimentally attached to her culture.

In terms of the world, Republic City was a newborn. The history didn't date back much further than her own and it had no real traditional culture to call its own. For as long as she knew, Republic City was the melting pot of cultures. Sure, it had it's own way of doing things and it could be a mess sometimes, but it sprinkled with all the cultures that the peoples had brought with them. Everything from the music to public affairs had its roots in all four major cultures. There was no singular culture she could call her own.

"There was one horrible winter," Korra reminisced, calling Asami's attention. "It was so cold, even the animals wouldn't come out. The only animal that was stupid enough to show their faces were seals. We had the same meal for three months."

Nostalgia filled the air as Korra kept her gaze on the beads of sweat on her water glass. Asami listened with rapt attention. "What we didn't eat right away, we would hang up to dry, just in case the following hunt didn't go well.

"As the weather got worse, hunting got harder. The jerky really saved us then. But, every night, there would be at  _least_  a pound of the stuff missing. My dad was got  _so_  mad. He set up a dozen or so traps, but whatever it was, it would somehow slip between them. One night, he decided to just steak it out. He waited outside, and it was well below freezing, and I woke up when I heard a sharp howl."

Korra took a sip of her water taking a break from the story. Asami leaned forward and rested her chin on a palm, patiently waiting for the story to continue.

"I mean, I was excited to see what dad had caught, too. I begged him to let me stay up with him, but my mom some how tricked me into bed so I ran outside, hoping that it was a wolf or a polar leopard or something mean and vicious and exciting, but, it wasn't. Dad's spear was sticking out of a baby polar bear's side."

"Naga," Asami whispered out loud. Enraptured by the story, bright green eyes urged Korra to go on.

"Right. Naga." Korra continued. "I remember Dad was so excited, he ran up to her and carried her into the house. We hadn't had anything but seal for weeks and, even though people normally don't eat polar bear dogs, it wasn't unheard of. Oh man, she was in so much pain. She cried with every step he took. It was such a horrible sight. Her little eyes were begging me to save her. I couldn't do anything but cry. He wanted to just end her suffering but I wouldn't let him. I was probably crying louder than she was.

"In the end, I somehow convinced them to let me keep her. You wouldn't believe how much trouble she got me in for the first couple of years," Korra laughed as she recalled all their shenanigans. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Bright red lips curled into a gentle smile as Asami admired Korra's warm heart. As if it were contagious, the other girl smiled right back.

She was a great person. If she weren't a bender, she probably would've made a great leader too. Asami's smile dropped. She wasn't her friend. She wasn't a good person. She was the main obstacle in their cause.

"Two lychee juices and two bowls of our famous homemade seaweed noodles for the lovely ladies," the owner said with a toothy smile. They food was placed in front of them and the soup sloshed over the rim. A surprised look crossed Korra's face and she quickly bent the liquid before it could hit the table.

The country girl hadn't realized how long her story turned out to be. She didn't often talk about herself; no one really seemed to be interested. But it was different with Asami. She just felt  _comfortable_  around her. The girl didn't pester her about politics or bending. She didn't want to only talk about sports or training. She showed almost no interest in that aspect of her life. Asami allowed her to be more than just the Avatar.

And there was so much that Korra wanted to say to her. Thirteen years was a long time. She wanted to update her about all the things that happened and reminisce about things they had done when they were younger. There was so much she wanted to know. The short, little, chubby girl that was bullied sure had grown into herself. Beautifully, she might've added.

But first, food.

Korra split her chopsticks and grabbed a generous helping. She stuffed her face with food and slurped the noodles. Broth flew from the whipping strands as she pulled it into her mouth but she couldn't care less.

"Alright, alright. So, tell me something about you when you were a kid," she asked with her cheeks stuffed with food.

"There's nothing really to tell. It was pretty normal," Asami dismissed with an unconcerned shrug.

"Oh come on, your life couldn't always have been this perfect."

If someone had dropped a pin in that moment, you'd be able to hear it. As soon as the words left her mouth, Korra regretted it.  _If_  this Asami was the same Asami from her park, she already knew that her life was anything but. To her surprise, Asami didn't seem in the slightest bit surprised question.

With an indifferent shrug, Asami dismissed the presumption. It wasn't as if it was the first time people jumped to that conclusion.

"What can I say? My dad worked a lot. From about 10, I went to a boarding school for girls in Northern Republic City and I came back at sixteen. Since then, I've been working with my dad at the company." Asami explained unconcerned. She followed Korra's lead and broke her chopsticks. She took a small, dainty bite and was overwhelmed by the richness.

Afraid to ask, Korra swallowed her food and asked cautiously. "And your mom?"

Taking a moment, Asami sipped her juice from the straw. Korra waited anxiously and in the time it took Asami to put her glass down, she regretted asking.

"She died. When I was really young."

Korra's heart dropped and the sight of her food disgusted her.

Korra recalled how the two of them loved to cause trouble for the woman. They would hide when it came time for Asami to go home, running in and out of the jungle gym as she chased after them. Or, there were times when they would purposely mess the girl's hair up, just for her to give them an exhausted sigh and start combing through it again. There was one time when Asami ripped her dress and her mom got so mad, she even scolded Korra.

Despite all of that, there was nothing but love in her eyes. Asami's admiration and Korra's respect were nothing but genuine.

"I don't remember much, but-" Asami's continued. For a split second the mood shifted from somber to livid. Sharp green eyes shot daggers at the girl and Korra didn't recognize her. But as soon as it came, it left. Her face relaxed and she composed herself quickly. The sentence was never finished and the only thing Korra could do was to give her condolences. The taboo subject was dropped and the conversation went off in tangents.

Long after the meal was finished, their corner continued to be full of laughter. "Pema was  _so_  mad. Meelo wasn't allowed to play outside for days!" Korra recalled as she told stories about Air Temple Island.

"Mud pies aren't exactly things high on my list for things I want to eat either," Asami chuckled.

Asami realized the time when the lunch crowd started to shuffle in. Two hours. They had wasted two hours just sitting in the stuffy restaurant as they exchanged stories of their past. Two hours of laughing until their sides hurt.

Two hours that Asami had set aside to upgrade her electric glove for the bust later that night. Two hours sitting across from her greatest enemy.

It was two hours of forgetting who they were and where they were. Even if it was only for a moment, she had forgotten where they stood; two people on opposite sides of an ongoing war. It was times like that that Asami forgot it was all just make believe.

* * *

There was a mole among the Equalists. No official announcement had been made and only a select handful of people knew what was in store for the pro-bending finals. Yet, there was no doubt that information was being leaked.

The first clue was when Asami noticed that a few of their gloves were missing. They were standard issue and handed out to any person on a mission, but one day they came up short. Thinking it was a miscalculation she had let it slide. Until it happened again.

The second clue was when she started noticing an influx of security in and around the stadium. Even when there weren't any matches, at least a dozen or so Republic City officers patrolled the halls. It was no coincidence.

Suspicion went around the ranks, each person eager to blame another. With so much on the line and the finals approaching in a less than a week, Asami knew she needed to flush out the traitor and fast.

She set a rumor into circulation. The rumor was that gloves have been upgraded to send shock after shock without any recharge delay. Although she would have loved to actually create such a weapon, she didn't have the time nor did she think it were possible for something so compact to carry so much power. The rumor spread like wildfire and her plan had worked.

Dressed in uniform, she hid behind crates in the stock room for the perpetrator to move into action. Eyes widened when she caught sight of whom she would be up against.

"You're not supposed to be here," she stated, giving away her presence without revealing her position. The wiry-framed man whipped around looking for a body to match to the voice. He raised both hands to his face, taking a defensive stance. "You know that Amon won't allow you to leave."

Eyes narrowed as they searched through the darkness. There was no use in hiding her identity; Asami knew that her voice was a dead giveaway. The teen took off her mask and took a deep breath, preparing herself for a battle that she was not entirely sure she could win.

Lanky arms unfastened two rods from his back and the air popped as electricity flowed through it. The room was illuminated with blue light, making it hard for tired eyes to focus.

"You don't want to mess with me, little girl," the voice threatened. In spite of the situation, is voice was still painfully haughty.

"I don't think you know who you're dealing with, Lieutenant."

The Lieutenant was a smart man. He did not earn his rank and position as Amon's right-hand man by just watching from the sidelines. He was deceptive and skillful. He was a master of his kali sticks and Asami needed to be on the top of her game. The choices were either get the pulsing weapons away from him or find some other way to get an upper hand.

Calm and collected, Asami slipped on a nearby glove. She waited before turning it on; any light would give away her position and she couldn't risk that yet. The soft clicking from the as it turned to 0.09 amperes resonated in the hollow room. Sharp eyes darted around as he tried to pinpoint the sound. She watched as he circled in his spot, his eyes searching the darkness for his opponent.

Once his back turned toward her, Asami leapt from her spot. Her leg jutted out as she crouched on the ground, sweeping across the smooth surface of the storage room. She was successful in getting him on his back and she quickly stood at full height. A heavy foot fell, aimed at the man's chest but he was too quick for her. He released one of the batons just in time to push himself way from the attack. Before she knew it, the Lieutenant had recovered without a hitch and was charging at her at full speed.

She had missed her chance; she no longer had the element of surprise.

Long hair fried as electricity from the baton swiped too close for comfort. She was at a disadvantage for speed and if she couldn't end the fight soon, it wouldn't end well at all. The elder man crouched downwards and Asami had leapt up on reaction. She was expecting an attack to her lower body but when none came, she realized the situation was much worse. A creepily thin smile spread across his face as he sauntered over, both hands now radiating with potential pain.

Without time to think, she ducked under his baton. Wrapping his forearm under her armpit, she twisted her body and threw him off of his center of balance. She didn't let go and with her free hand, jammed it into his shoulder. A loud pop let her know that the arm was useless for now. Finally, they were a bit more evenly matched.

As the Lieutenant recovered his footing, Asami made sure to turn on her glove. There was no way she would get a clear shot of his chest as long as he still had the his other stick. She studied his movements carefully, looking for an opening or a pattern of some sort.

 _Every 5_ _th_ _swing he throws his weight_ , she realized. Even if it were for only a split second, he was unguarded and left himself open for attack.

 _One_ , she ducked under his swipe.  _Two_ , she blocked his backhand.  _Three_ , she back flipped out of range.  _Four_ , she narrowly stepped out of the way. After narrowly avoiding a powerful swing at her chest, Asami gripped his arm and threw him face first into the wall. Cries echoed throughout the room as she jammed her powered glove straight into the generator on his back.

He was out cold.

Sweat dotted her forehead and she tossed the glove down on the motionless body. Just as she was about to take a second to catch her breath, she jumped back into defense at the sound of a slow clap.

"Very impressive," the detached voiced came.

Asami was too exhausted to be irritated and dropped her arms to her side. "I found your mole."

"I can see that," he spoke. If he was surprised, he didn't let anything slip from his mask. His voice was a cold and emotionless as ever. The only sign of annoyance that he showed was kicking the felled man with his boot.

"Dispose of him," he instructed.

Wide eyes shot up. Unsure if she had heard corrected she asked him to repeat himself.

"You know what we do with traitors. I will not stand for this to happen twice," he moved towards her. He stood tall as he looked down to her eyes. "Dispose of him."

Murdering people is not what Asami had signed up for when she gave her alliance. Of course she knew of the movement's underground and dubious ways, but she had never thought that it would be her job.  Her mind scrambled around frantically as her heart rate instantaneously sky rocketed. Millions of thoughts streamed through her mind, desperately looking for a way out.

A heavy glove hit her chest, not realizing that Amon had moved away and handed her her prototype weapon. "With your new adjustments, it should be quick. With 0.8 amps, he shouldn't be able to ever get up again."

When Asami didn't move to pick up the glove again, the leader made his way over to her. The sound of each step felt as if she was the one walking down death row.  Cotton mouthed, she could not find words to express her distress. 

"I hope you're not thinking of joining him, Ms. Sato," he spoke as he handed her the glove one last time.  A strong grip tugged at her wrist and placed the glove in her hand.  It was as heavy in her hand as it was on her heart.

Her face paled to a ghastly white and trembling hands mindlessly took command without her consent.  But try as she might, they couldn't not be ordered to still as she attempted to slip her hand back in. Sweaty palms made it hard to get her fingers in properly. Since Asami wasn't moving fast enough for his liking, Amon took it on himself to adjust the glove. With a rough tug, he readied the hand at the unconscious body.

There was a sharp taste of iron as she bit her lip and a sole tear rolled down her painted face.

She would never forget the pained screams as she took a man's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, I got this one up a lot quicker than the last! I hope you like it. I needed to get it up tonight because I'm going to be pretty busy for the next couple of weeks. I'm not sure when I'll get the next chapter up, but I'll get it as quickly as possible. It's also the reason that the end might seem a little less thorough and lackluster. I didn't have time to check through this more than so I hope there aren't monstrous typos!
> 
> Also, thank you all for your wonderful support! I was overwhelmed by all of your comments and I'll get back to them when I have time sometime tomorrow! You guys are honestly the best! I couldn't wait to write more. I hope that this chapter is to your liking. There was so much more that I wanted to cover but because time restraints and the length that this at already, I decided to end it here.
> 
> As always, comments are always appreciated! Stay awesome!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long. The opening of this chapter might catch you off guard but please stick around for the whole thing.

Asami gasped loudly, trying to catch her breath. Her heart beat rapidly against her chest and her skin was clammy with sweat.  Try as she might, she couldn’t erase the burning image from her head. The image of a man writhing in agony. The sounds of curdling scream that echoed through the warehouse, begging for it to be over.   The gruesome flashback of pupils dilating, eyes bulging out of their sockets before bursting with red. The vivid image of the man she once trusted and the life she had taken haunted her constantly.    

Three nights had gone by without Asami getting solid block of sleep; if she were lucky, exhaustion would take her for hour or so. The same nightmare– no, reality would crash down on her, crushing her beneath the weight of her actions, stirring her from her from any form of serenity. 

A piercing shriek ripped through the room when a burly hand gripped her forearm. 

“Babe, you okay?” a sluggish voice mumbled. Using his free hand, Mako rubbed his eye, trying to adjust to the darkness.  Asami wasn’t the only one affected by the sleepless nights.

“I’m fine,” she answered.  Asami allowed lazy arms pulled her back down and nestled into his bare chest.  The warmth of his body was one of the only thing she seemed to find comfort in as of late.

“Same dream?” he asked.  His rough hands roamed the plane of her back as her heart slowed to a steady pace.  She took slow, deep breaths as he worked away taut muscles. 

“More like a nightmare,” she mumbled out. She looked up at him and placed a small kiss on the side of his jaw.  Seconds later another joined a little higher.  Mako’s bold hands gained courage, shifting from her back to trail lower until the settled on her rear.  Soft moans fell from her lips as she nibbled on his earlobe as hands kneaded at her flesh. Asami’s mumbles gained volume and when he couldn’t take the teasing any longer, he flipped them over. A bold grin spread across his face and took control.  Closing her eyes, she let the sensation overwhelm her.  It was an easy way to take the edge off.  It was the easiest way that she could find any resemblance of peace.

There were worse things than sleeping with a bender. Asami understood it well.

* * *

“You know, the match isn’t until tomorrow, you don’t have to be here,” a familiar voice called out, hinted with slight mirth.

“Korra!” Asami snapped to attention and eased the locker door closed.   “What are you doing here?” she asked, leaning against the door.  Deft fingers fumbled with the lock as nervousness slowly ebbed out of her system. With a smile she greeted the star player.

“Yeah, well, _some people_ wanted me to squeeze more practice time before the big match,” Korra grabbed her workout clothes from her locker.  She gave the shirt a sniff and her face instantly scrunched in disgust. “Phew, but maybe not.” Korra took another whiff, as if the second time it would magically smell better. Asami’s face contorted as she watched. The taller girl swiftly backed up against the wall when the garment was offered to her asking if she wanted to share Korra’s misery.  

“I think I’ll pass on this one,” she politely declined. Asami slowly sidestepped the proffered uniform, making sure to leave an extra large radius.   The stench was already making its way to her and her voice became nasally.  “Don’t work yourself too hard now.  Make sure you wash that before your game on Friday, too.”

There was a subtle shift in Korra’s expression; her playful look turned into something almost disappointed but Asami didn’t allow herself to dwell on it before taking her leave. She was not going to allow herself to get wrapped into being the team’s laundry girl as well.

* * *

 The warmth of the sun and white noise from the people around her allowed her to relax.  Energy and life buzzed in the air and it provided Asami with a temporary peace of mind. Laughing children, gossiping mothers, and chirping birds lulled her into a much-needed nap.

“You look comfortable,” Asami heard a voice call out to her and she could only respond with a groan in protest. “Someone who’s worth so much probably shouldn’t be just lazing out in public like this,” the voice added playfully.

“I can take care of myself,” the heiress mumbled back in response, recognizing the voice instantly.  “What are you doing here?” she questioned. A curious eye peeped out under heavy lids and watched as the girl slumped to the ground at her side. She couldn’t seem to get rid of the girl and was starting to think that she was stalking her.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Korra crossed her hands behind her head.  “Shouldn’t you be doing some paperwork or whatever you’re always running around doing?" 

“Shouldn’t _you_ be doing some world-saving or whatever you’re always running around doing?” she retorted with a scoff.

“Touché, Ms. Sato.  Touché.”  The air was electrified with the avatar’s hearty laugh. 

Watching the serene look on Asami’s face, it took less than a minute for Korra to give in and fold her arms behind her head to assume the same position.  Exhaustion was quickly catching up to her and decided a short catnap in the sun _probably_ wouldn’t kill anybody and just as she started to relax, she heard shifting coming from her right. 

Lazy blues watched as Asami sat up to peel off her jacket and fold it into a crisp square.  Placed at the base of the tree she turned into a makeshift pillow. Korra’s halfhearted glance turned curious as Asami got comfortable.  She had to admit, she was a bit envious, it wasn’t as if she could just take off her shirt and do the same.  Korra’s pout morphed into a grin and Asami let out a loud “oomph” when Korra plopped her head on the girl’s stomach.  

After the initial shock, the equalist couldn’t muster the energy to complain.  Asami’s fingers found their way to Korra’s locks, as if it were second nature. With the new attention on her, Korra stiffened, self-conscious at the mess her hair was probably in after practice.  She knew the state that it was in, oily and knotted, could not hold a candle to the perfection that is Asami Sato’s hair yet, somehow, Asami seemed to pay it no heed.

The soothing gesture lulled her in and out of consciousness.  Thoughts drift back to when young Asami tried to teach Korra how to braid her hair. She recalled her fierce determination to make sure Korra had perfected it before she would let it go. It was quite amusing how the timid girl would get so frustrated at how Korra could “beat up all the bad guys” but no matter how hard she tried, couldn’t manage to do a simple braid.

One thought drifted into another. Was Asami like this with all of her friends?  Did she run her hands through Bolin’s messy mop, or was it only an action reserved for her girl friends? Is this how all girls hung out together? Now that they were friends, were they supposed to gossip about the cutest boy as they tried the latest hairstyles? Korra imagined that she was getting a small look into her domestic life with Mako.  He probably would come home from work or practice and lie in her lap and complain about his day.

For the briefest of moments, Korra had wished it could be her instead.  She dismissed it just as quickly. 

A sense of sadness tugged at her chest as she wondered what kind of woman Asami had grown up to be.  The quiet, timid little girl had given into a confident, bold woman. The shy no longer had to fight off boys for their relentless remarks, but instead had deal with the influx of date offers. She had lost her baby cheeks that once gave her a gentle look but traded it for breathtaking beauty.

A small hum escaped Korra’s lips as she leaned into Asami’s relaxing touch, thoroughly enjoying the fingers combing through her bangs. Though she briefly tried, she could not fight the pull of slumber.

As Korra drifted away, placid greens watched as children ran through the park.  A group of boys ran from a tiny girl, crying for her not to spread her cooties. Turtle ducks wadded in the shallow waters of a nearby pond.  An odd pair of ladies sat on her favorite bench, sitting maybe just a little too close to be platonic. A sudden realization rushed over Asami as she was suddenly aware of the position she was in.  Her hands took it upon themselves to start braiding one of Korra’s wolf tails and she quickly undid her work before anyone could take notice. She groaned internally. Contrary to what Korra believed, they were not friends.  They were on opposite sides of the same war and she could not afford fraternize with the enemy. Lives were on the line. It was a fact that she had to remind herself often.

A small grumble came from Korra’s lips the second the soothing patterns had stopped.  She cracked open an eye to see Asami’s incredulous look. 

“You okay?” she mumbled as she sat up. 

“Yeah, but it’s getting late,” Asami said as she excused herself.  “We’re supposed to meet the boys in an hour so we should probably head back.”

“Ugh, right.  For practice. Again.  Because we don’t do that enough” Korra complained and made no motion to get up from her spot. 

“Don’t you want to win?”  Asami asked with raised eyebrows.  The slight pause gave Korra away.  “You don’t want to win.”

“No, I mean, no of course I do,” Korra sat up and turned her back to the other girl.  She stretched in her spot a bit.  “I’m just so–”

“So...?”

“So tired.  All of the time.  I’m always at practice, or training, or a meeting, or a raid, or whatever someone has planned for me. I never get time to just rest. I’ve had a packed schedule since I got here over two months ago.  Can’t I–” Korra paused in her rant, her eyebrows creased in defeat. “I just need a break, you know?”

“Then take one.” Asami shrugged with a sly smile.

“Right, yeah, sure,” Korra audibly scoffed at the idea.  “Like I’d be able to get away for more than an hour without being spotted.”

“It’s easy,” Asami added with a nonchalant shrug. Asami understood her predicament more than Korra could ever imagine.  If Korra wanted to give someone the slip, Asami was the best person she could turn to. 

Korra raised both brows curiously when a mischievous grin spread across Asami’s face. 

“Follow me.”

It didn’t take much to sneak onto the docks and take one of Future Industries private jet boats.  Sure, they nearly got caught twice but with careful dodging and a white lie, they were sailing through clear waters in no time. Korra leaned back comfortably in leather seat.  Wind whipped through her hair and welcomed the comforting smell of the sea air. 

“I take it you do this often,” Korra yelled over the roaring engine with a smile.

“Hm?” Asami angled her head to hear more clearly while keeping her eyes forward.  It didn’t help. 

“You do this often?” Korra yelled louder.

“Not so much anymore,” Asami laughed as she slowed the cruiser once they were a safe distance from the coast. “Whenever I got into an argument with my dad or just didn’t want to go into work, I’d take a day or two off.”

Korra cocked her head to the side. It took a moment before she guffawed and slapped her knee in complete disbelief.  “So Miss Perfect has a rebellious streak, does she?”

Asami wanted to scoff at the ‘Miss Perfect’ snide but settled for rolling her eyes; she was used to the presumption everyone had of her.  Prissy, beautiful, elegant, rich girl, right?  “You know, if you have a problem with it, you could just swim back to the harbor,” Asami offered through grit teeth.  Her grip tightened around the wheel and her eyes focused solely on their destination.  

The waterbender noted that she had hit a nerve and opened her mouth to apologize but the words died in her throat and she let the guilt eat away at her instead.  Korra knew she wasn’t very eloquent and didn’t want to dig herself into a deeper grave.

There was a thick air around them for the remaining journey.  The short 10 minutes dragged on as Korra stole glances, trying to figure a way to apologize. Hands gripped at the ends of her sash as her mind struggled. 

“There shouldn’t be anyone else here,” Asami stated as she docked the cruiser.  It only took one look at Korra’s forlorn expression for her any lingering hostility to drain out of her.  With a softened expression and a slight smile, Asami lead them to a small beach house.

“Asami, wait, I want to just say that I’m s–”

“I know.  It’s fine,” Asami said as she held the door open.  “Forget about it.  We’re here to relax.”  The shift in Asami’s smile to something genuine set Korra at ease.

* * *

“You know, this isn’t exactly what I had in mind,” Korra shifted uncomfortably on the bench, taking side-glances at the girl ‘relaxing’ next to her.  Asami’s bathing suit left little imagination.  Creamy legs seemingly stretch for miles before being covered by skintight fabric at her upper thigh.  Her bare upper back soaked up the sun’s warmth and her hair was tied to the side. Everything about Asami was natural and at peace. 

Korra, on the other hand, couldn’t sit still. She kept her legs crossed, trying to hide as much skin as she could from the curious eyes that hid behind a large pair of sunglasses.  The heat and exposure were having the opposite affect that it was having for Asami. Sweat started to bead up on Korra’s forehead and she looked at the shore longingly.  The girl’s fidgeting didn’t go unnoticed and Asami perched her glasses on the top of her head as she sat up. 

“You can go in the water, you know." 

“Really?” Korra asked excitedly. She jumped to her feet and reached for Asami’s wrist.  “What’re we waiting for?”

“Uhh...” Asami paused.  “ _You_ can go in the water. _I’m_ going to stay right here.”

“What, you can swim?” Korra asked jokingly. An awkward moment passed between them before she broke the silence.  “Wait, oh man, you can’t swim?”

Coming from a water tribe, it had never really occurred to her not everyone knew how to swim.  Some babies at the Southern Water Tribe knew how to swim before they could even run.  “I could teach you,” Korra offered.

“I know how to swim.” Asami snapped defensively. It wasn’t a complete lie. She could float around in a pool. Pools were so much better, in her opinion.  They were always in a closed, controlled atmosphere with no animals that could swallow her whole or tides to take her out to sea.  “I just, I don’t feel like it.”

Korra didn’t have to be an expert on body language to know that Asami’s crossed arms meant she was not going to budge. The gears in her head started to turn as a plan formulated. 

“Korra?” Asami’s called out as Korra walked away. She was unsettled by the sly grin on her face. “Korra, where are you–”

“Korra!” Asami cried out loud. Tables overturned as she scrambled out of her chair trying to get away, doing her best to escape the impending disaster.

Korra ran at her at full speed. There was a smug grin was on her face as a torrent of seawater trailed behind her.  Since she couldn’t bring Asami to the water, she was determined to bring the water to her.  It really wasn’t long before Asami found herself sitting on her rear, drenched head-to-toe. Her locks curtained her face.

“Five.”

Korra almost didn’t hear her speak; her laughter drowned everything out.

“Four.”

“What was that?” Korra asked as she wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes.

“Three.”  Asami’s eyes locked onto hers before narrowing. 

“Two,” she continued.

Korra quickly stood straight before darting back in the opposite direction.  She didn’t know what Asami had in store for her but she did know she didn’t want to stick around to find out.

“ONE.”  Asami yelled as she followed closely behind.  “Get back here, Avatar Korra!”

“Try and make me!” Korra called back at her.

Determined to make her eat her words, the non-bender widened her stride.  She was inches away from grabbing Korra’s arm when she was pushed back by a wave. In their chase, Asami didn’t notice how close to the shore they had gotten but she wasn’t going to let it deter her from her mission. 

Luckily, Asami had a slight upper hand. She was a slightly faster and the distance between the two shrunk again.  Right when her prey was within reach again, she was tripped by the tide.

“Quit cheating!” Asami called out, realizing that it was Korra’s doing. 

“I’m not cheating!  You’re faster than me!” Korra shouted back once there was a safe distance between the two. 

“It’s not my fault I’m faster than you!”

“It’s not my fault I’m a waterbender!”

“Why you little–” Asami mumbled under her breath. 

“What was that?”  Korra cupped her ear in Asami’s direction. 

Whenever presented with a good opportunity, Asami would not think twice about leaping at it.  This time, it was a little too literal and she tackled the shorter girl into the ground. 

“Not so smug now, are you?” she asked as she wrestled Korra at the shoreline.  No matter how much she tossed and turned, Korra couldn’t get out of the other girl’s grip. Realizing the futileness of struggling, she stopped resisting.  

“Someone needs to wash that grin off your face,” Korra teased.  With a flick of her wrist, a wave came crashing over Asami and knocked the girl from her perch. Quickly reversing positions Korra sat on Asami’s waist. 

Asami was still trying to catch her breath after being caught off guard.  Trying her best to buck Korra off of her, she shifted in protest, making it uncomfortable for Korra to remain still.

“Stop that.” Korra grabbed her wrists and pinned them down next to her head.  Their faces to aligned. Her squirming eventually stopped when Asami had no leeway. “Will you behave?” A sharp jaw tightened and eyes narrowed. “I didn’t hear a ‘yes,’” Korra teased.

A shiver shot down Asami’s spine when Korra’s breath tickled at her ear.  Thighs held down her waist and arms pressed against hers.  She let out a grunt and shifted again, but this time for a completely different reason.  Asami smirked. If Korra wanted to play it that way, she was going to win.   

Tipping her chin up so her lips could brush up against Korra’s ear, Asami whispered.  “Why would I move?  I finally have you right where I want you.”  Korra’s brows scrunched in confusion at her words.  Her grip on Asami’s wrists slacked as she processed them.  “Do you _really_ want me to behave?” Asami pushed.

With that, Korra flushed and jolted off of her. “I didn’t mean it like that!” Korra raised her hands to show her innocence, nearly tripping on her feet as she backed away.

Asami was shell-shocked; she wasn’t expecting such a dramatic response.  It took all of two seconds before she burst out laughing.   Korra was a lot more innocent that she had initially pegged her. Asami brushed off the sand from her back and legs before walking over to the still blushing avatar. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to–" 

“No, no! It’s alright!” Korra spat out, still unable to look Asami in the eye, cheeks still flushed.  Her hand rubbed the back of her neck.  Her shyness was adorable. 

When Korra wouldn’t look at her, Asami had known she had messed up.  Things were awkward and she knew that she would have to do something thing to take her mind off of the situation.  Resigned eyes turned toward the beach and she sighed internally. 

The shore was calm and the slowly setting sun reflected peacefully off the surface.  It wasn’t that Asami hated the water per se, it was just something that she didn’t enjoy.  Every couple months, she’d hear about another person getting lost at sea or about some strange creature washing up on shore.  She debated the odds of something happening to her.  Taking into account the number of odd sightings, the number of missing persons, and the annual death count, she concluded that it was irrational to believe something would happen to a responsible adult when staying close to shore. Steeling her will, Asami moved a couple of feet into the water. 

 _This isn’t so bad_ , Asami thought as the waves washed up against her torso. The cold water took a few seconds to get adjusted to and as she called Korra to join her, she was toppled over by a wave.  

“Asami?!” Korra cried as she dashed to the spot where she had last seen the girl.  Eyed darted frantically about as they scanned the horizon.  The seconds felt like lifetimes and Korra was about to push back the shore when she saw Asami breach a few feet away from her. 

“Are you alright?” Korra asked with worry as she swam her way over.  Korra let out a yell of her own when Asami’s hands suddenly gripped at her shoulders. Legs wrapped around her torso just as quickly.  Asami was using the sturdy body as an anchor so she wouldn’t be taken by the rip current again.  Korra wrapped an arm around the girl to help support her as her free hand busied itself by picking the seaweed out of her tresses.  “Hey, it’s alright. I got you.” 

The words fell on deaf ears but once Asami calmed, her grip loosened and she moved to stand on her two feet. Korra’s cheeks puffed out, trying to stifle a laugh when she saw her face, or more specifically, what was on her face.  The chuckle added to Asami’s embarrassment and she wished that she had just drowned instead.  With a small tickle, Korra coaxed a small purple pentapus to release its grip on Asami’s cheek.

“You picked up a hitchhiker there,” she said with a gentle laugh and tossed the bugger back into the water.

Asami’s hand quickly moved to massage the spot she knew she was sporting a few red dots. 

“Did you ever hear about Avatar Aang and–” Korra was cut off when Asami’s eyes bulged.  “What? What’s wrong?” she asked, the worry in her voice matching Asami’s panic.

“SOMETHING JUST TOUCHED ME.”

 “Alright, Princess.  Let’s go.” Korra rolled her eyes and turned her back toward the other girl.  She crouched slightly and held her arms out to offer a ride back to shore.  Asami narrowed her eyes at the comment and as she was about to refuse but ended up jumping right on.  Something had touched her again.

With ease, Korra lifted the girl and carried her back towards safety. 

“As I was saying, once, Aang and all his friends were stuck in Omashu.   Sokka got a pentapus stuck on his face and was covered in red spots.   Since they couldn’t find another way out of the city, then they came up with a plan to use it to trick the guards.

“You see, at the time, the city was captured by the Fire Nation.  They held everybody hostage and to lead the civilians out of the gates, Team Avatar told the guard that they had this highly contagious disease called ‘pentapox.’ It was only by using the red marks that the pentapii left that they were all able to escape.”

“Didn’t Avatar Aang knock out all the guards to lead the civilians out through the sewers?” Asami asked.  Although it had been a while since she read about the Omashu Resistance, she as pretty confident that what Korra had said was not what she had learned in school. 

Korra tilted her head and raised a brow at the other girl.  She felt relief when the high tension from the body behind her seemed to have left.

“Where’d you hear that?” she asked curiously.

“That’s what we learned in our history classes,” Asami responded.  “Councilman Sokka had mapped an escape route as Katara took the lead.  Chief Beifong and Avatar Aang held off the guards until everyone was safely on the other side.”

“No, no, no,” Korra shook her head and laughed. The warmth from the sound reverberated through Asami.  She settled against the girl and rested her chin on her shoulder as she got comfortable. Neither of them had noticed that they were already out of the water.  “Toph wasn’t even with them yet.  Aang was still looking for an earthbending master so he was actually there to ask Bumi.”

A hum of fascination escaped Asami’s lips. She pictured how Avatar Aang and his friends traveled around the world.  Asami always had a wild imagination but she could never picture herself living out of the city.  Camping on the ground, flying on a bison, more or less living with friends.  It was a strange idea. 

Talking to Korra, she got behind-the-scenes with insider information. She had never seen historical figures as normal people too, just people she read about in book. “Do you talk to Aang often?” she asked.  

“Actually, it was Sokka who told me about that,” Korra said with a small laugh. “He had all these wacky and funny stories that he would tell.  Some of them were so hard to believe but I could never tell if he was making it up or not.

“It’s crazy, isn’t it? That Aang was only twelve years old when he saved the world.  He did so much by the time he was my age and I still can’t even talk to him, let alone get out a single puff of air.”

“Still?” Asami asked nonjudgmentally. Korra squatted to let Asami off her back but when she made no motion to move, she just sat on the warm sand.

“It just doesn’t make any sense to me.  No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get it.” Korra let out a bitter laugh. “Do you think I’m going be the first avatar to not bend all the elements?”

“You’ll get it,” Asami reassured without hesitation. “You can’t rush yourself. It has to come from you. You need to find peace. Be flexible.”

Thin arms moved from around Korra’s shoulders to rest loosely around her waist instead.  A sense of familiarity rushed through the bender when she felt a warm cheek rest against her back.  Slim fingers made their way to Korra’s wrists and Asami pressed her thumbs gently against her pulse. Finding solace in the strong heartbeat beneath her fingers, Asami kept them there.  Blue eyes watched curiously.

“You sound like Tenzin,” Korra resigned. She’d heard the speech dozens of times, twice a day if she was having a particularly bad one.  It wasn’t like she really had the time since she was running around the city.  She couldn’t find peace either since there was too much cluttering her mind.  Freedom was out of the question.  She was basically imprisoned at Air Temple Island. She even still had that stupid curfew.

Small puffs of warm breath pulled Korra out of deep thought; sometime during her inner monologue, the gentle massage had stopped and Asami had drifted off.  There was a rush of awareness of how physical they were being.  Korra’s hands moved to rest gingerly atop of Asami’s as they kept her in reach.  Tickles sent chills down her spine whenever soft lips brushed against her bare back.

There wasn’t really much more that Korra could’ve asked for – the warmth from the setting sun, the company of a lost friend, the overbearing responsibilities temporarily lifted.  A gentle smile settled on Korra’s face as she allowed herself the moment. Regardless of what Tarrlock, Lin Beifong, Tenzin, or even the Fire Ferrets said, she more than deserved it.

* * *

“Wake up,” Asami whispered into Korra’s ear. The sun had set and the air was chilly. Asami was ducked low but no longer in her position behind her.  Flashlights darted across the beach and the clanking of metal armor could be heard from the Republic City Police Department.  “We have company.”

Korra took a few moments to get her bearings, instantly calming once she realized where she was.  She tossed Asami a confused look. 

“Looks like not everyone was happy about you taking the day off” Asami whispered.

The pair kept their bodies low to the ground as they made their way across the shore.  Things were going smoothly and just as they were mere yards from the beach house, a beam of light shined straight at them.

“Hey, you.  Get back here!” an officer called out. 

“Run,” Asami whispered.  The beach house they were using was surrounded by the police and there was no way they could get in unnoticed.  Korra whipped up a sandstorm to hide their escape and they darted out toward the pier instead. 

Korra was making her way to the boat and readied herself to knock the unsuspecting guards out of her way.  As took a firm stance and brought to her arms to her side, Asami’s grip tugged her sharply.  Taken by surprise, she was unable to complete the motions and was inches from falling face first into the sand. 

“What was that for?” Korra whisper yelled.

“If you take them out, they’ll all know where we are,” Asami responded in like.  “Wait until they clear the area.” 

Korra huffed and wanted to protest but couldn’t find a fault in the logic.  The two peered from behind a large shipping container as the search continued.

Asami’s concentration was broken when she was pushed back. “HEY!” Asami shouted before shushed by Korra’s hand.  On reflex, Asami twisted the hand off of her but it was quickly replaced with the other. She couldn’t put up much of a fight when she was sandwiched between Korra’s body and the metal crate. 

“Be quiet,” Korra breathed into her ear. Alert eyes watched lights as they combed through the darkness. 

Asami’s chest was pounding.  The adrenaline pumped through her veins and would not steady. The helplessness she felt from being caught off-guard was overshadowed by an unfamiliar feeling. With Korra’s arms on either side of her and her face so close that she could feel calmed breaths tickling at her ear, she felt trapped. 

Seconds passed and the more Asami had thought about it, the more she felt that “trapped” wasn’t an appropriate word. The connotation of unease didn’t quite fit what she felt.  There was no sense of impending doom or claustrophobia.  She racked her mind for a moment, trying to place the feeling.

_Safe._

For once, Asami felt safe.  For once, someone had her back. 

Seriousness washed off Korra’s face and she turned to Asami with a crooked grin.  “They’re gone.”

Although Korra’s body was no longer pressing up against Asami’s, there wasn’t a significant distance between their faces. Mesmerized, focused emeralds could not tear away from the playful grin.  Slowly, the smile started to fade and her attention was moved to concerned blues.

“Are you alright?”  Korra asked.  Her voice was tinged with concern.  She took a step closer.  “Asami?”

Asami’s gaze darted back down to the moving lips and watched as their faces inched together. Korra’s voice made Asami squirm in her spot.  Despite the chilly air and the heartening look, she felt queasy.  She quickly turned her head and Korra took a huge step backward.

“We should get going,” Asami declared. Her voice was firm and left no room for argument.  “Mako’s probably worried, too.”

“Yeah, right.  Definitely.”  Korra fought against her warm cheeks and turned away.  Her hand found the back of her neck as she rubbed it nervously. Brows scrunched as she stole one last glance. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. So, it's been a really long time since I updated this and this chapter was kind of practice to get back into writing. There wasn't much plot development but I hope you liked the all the fluff. I'm sorry if it seemed rushed but I'm really out of practice. 
> 
> For those of you upset about the Mako thing, I'm sorry. I felt it needed to be put in. Asami went through a lot and needs constant reassurance that she is alive and the people around her are as well. Hence, Korrasami fluff as well.
> 
> The next chapter should be a bit more eventful though so if you found this chapter boring, I want to apologize again!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I had it finished like two weeks ago but then it underwent heavy editing and then I just wanted to quit.

“Asami!  Where’ve you been?” an excited voiced greeted her. 

 Exhausted couldn’t cover how Asami has been feeling for the last several days so when a heavy body wrapped her in a bear hug, she had put up no resistance.  Despite her initial reluctance, she couldn’t help but melt into the boy’s embrace. “It’s nice to see you too, Bolin,” she replied with a smile.

“Yeah, where have you been?” Mako scooted over to make room for his girlfriend on the couch.  Once Bolin met his hug quota for the day, he released Asami and made his way back to Korra’s side.

Mako warmly welcomed his girlfriend and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her into a kiss.  The familiar routine put Asami in an odd sense of relaxation and she let out a calm breath against his still smiling lips. Korra and Bolin on the other hand stuck out their tongue in disgust at their overly public display of affection. Asami would’ve normally dismissed it with a laugh, but she couldn’t quite muster energy. 

“Sorry,” Asami closed her eyes and rest her head to Mako’s chest. “I’ve been running around doing stuff for my dad. What’d I miss?”

Silence befell the group and they all looked at each other awkwardly. 

“You haven’t heard?” asked Mako as he scratched the back of his neck.

“Heard what?”

“Amon’s threatened the stadium.” Korra informed. “He wants the Council to cancel the finals.  With the help of Beifong–” Korra faintly heard Mako whisper ‘Chief Beifong’ “–the finals are still on for tomorrow but the Metalbending Police Force is going to be there for added security.  She said that she _guarantees_ the stadium’s protection.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure everyone will be fine,” Mako said reassuringly, mistaking her look of concern as for that of the team. He gave a strong smile.

“Yeah, I mean, we’re basically champions already,” Bolin boasted with his chest out.  He gave it a sturdy pound to accentuate his point.  “Well, almost.  Right after we show those Wolfbats who’s boss.  If anyone can take on those Equalists, it’s us!”

“I know you guys can take care of yourselves,” Asami dismissed. 

And, she did.  Asami wasn’t dumb.  She knew if anyone were to get in their way, the Fire Ferrets would give them the biggest run for their money.  The Krew had, on more than one occasion, first hand experience with the rebellion. Fearless and highly skilled, they knew exactly how to handle themselves. 

The team’s safety wasn’t one of concerns. She had to worry about make adjustments to the new obstacle.  Her mind worked in overdrive.  Planning out a schedule and crunching numbers, she carefully concluded what needed to be done. The placement and number of gloves that she’d need to equip needed to taken care of before anyone entered the stadium. There never seemed to be enough hours in a day for the Equalist.  

Asami pulled herself away with a groan and the cool air hit her like a truck.  She instantly missed the warmth. 

“Where are you going?” Mako asked. A thin brow rose at the accusatory tone in his voice.  “You just got here.”

“Yeah, hang out for a bit!  It’s our last night as normal benders.  After this, we’ll be celebrities!” Bolin exclaimed. “Can’t you just see it now?” he pulled Korra to his side and let out a dreamy sigh.  “Our names in lights as we make public appearances. Girls just falling to our feet, begging us for autographs.”

Korra gave an awkward smile and took a quick glance at the other girl.  Asami’s unamused face added to her unease and suddenly found the training weights absolutely enthralling.

Asami took a second before speaking. She tossed her hair over her shoulders and offered an obscenely large smile.  “Alright, normal benders, you guys go and celebrate.  This non-bender is has some non-bending business to take care of before bed.”

The smaller girl cringed at her words and the excitement from Bolin’s speech died.  His smile was wiped clean off of his face.  “No, that’s not what I meant.  I mean, you’re part of the team.  You should be celebrating with us!”

“Not tonight, boys.  I’m tired,” she buffered the invite.  The bitterness was dropped from her voice. A small huff fell from her lips and let her shoulders sink a few inches.  She was too tired to be defensive.  “I’m going to head to bed after I run a few more errands.”

“At least stay for dinner?” Korra asked hopefully. Sharp greens softened when they locked with the unusually shy baby blues.  She almost felt bad for saying no.

“I can’t tonight.  A celebration dinner tomorrow?” Asami offered an empty promise. Korra couldn’t help but mimic her soft smile.

“I’ll see you tonight?” Mako called out as Asami started to take her leave. 

“I don’t know.  I wouldn’t want to keep you from getting a good night’s sleep,” she replied with a roll of her eyes. 

“OOOOOH.” Korra and Bolin howled in unison. Unfazed by their interjection Asami kept on walking.  “Looks like there’s trouble in paradise!”  Korra’s full laugh was nearly drowned out by Bolin’s as he slapped his knee.

The duo made no efforts to coddle Mako. He was a firebender; he should’ve been used to getting burned. 

* * *

Standing in the middle of the arena, Asami looked up to the stands.  The usually booming crowd was nothing but empty seats. Piece by piece her mind filled in the blanks. 

_Bright lights filled the stadium, bringing it to life.   Streamers flowed through the air freely and food was being tossed left and right in excitement. She could hear the crowd howling and whistling, growing louder with each passing second. There was an explosion of voices as the two final teams teams made their way into the ring for the season’s last show down._

_“And the team we’ve all been secretly rooting for,” Shiro Shinobi’s voice called out over the crowd. The room darkened as three spotlights fell on each of the team members.  “The newbies, the underdogs, and our absolute favorites, the Future Industries Fire Ferrets!!”_

_Asami made her way to the center, dressed in the team uniform complete with a red sash around her waist.  She heard her name being chanted and she waved politely.  She looked to her right and saw Korra smirk and just beyond her Bolin wiggled his eyebrows. She took a firm stance as she heard the countdown start.  With an even breath, she let out a small wisp of smoke and grinned at the terrified looks on their opponents’ faces._

_“Let’s do this,” she heard Korra call out.  With a quick jab, all three threw their elements._

Asami’s closed fist followed the motion yet nothing came.  No flame bursting from her hand, no warmth from the assault, not even a spark from trying. Nothing. 

When she was little, Asami would occasionally dream about being a bender.  She longed for the idea of no longer be teased.  She wanted to be as good as the others.  Just hearing of Avatar Aang and his friends’ adventures made her want to go out on her own adventures. She would stay up all night imagining what it would be like to be a hero, someone as powerful and graceful as Avatar Kyoshi.

She would use her bending for good. She dreamed of using it to help people, maybe even join the Republic City Police Department.  Years went by and her mother’s murder went unsolved. With the increase in crime, it was to no one’s surprise that death threats to the Sato family were frequent. As the city grew cold, so did she. Hope and innocence ebbed away, leaving only bitterness and animosity in its wake.  She was clearly not going to change the world by sitting idly, hoping to be a bender.  When Amon came in, she knew it was exactly what she was looking for.

Asami scoffed and reminiscing of her naive fantasies had put her in a sour mood.  She was no longer that guileless child and did not want to look back. With a renewed sense of determination, she left the ring.  The next time she’d be standing there, it would be revolutionary. 

* * *

By the time Asami was able to stock the stadium with enough gloves to cover the heightened security, it was well past midnight. The gloves had tripled in numbers and since they needed to be dispersed in large numbers and quickly, they had been moved from the locker room to the concession stands at every entrance.  

“I knew I was making the right decision when I chose you.”  The low and eerie voice never failed to send an unpleasant chill down her spine. True to his nature, he appeared out of nowhere and always when she least expected it. 

“Amon,” she said, monotone.  Amon watched wordlessly as Asami pushed the last box into its place.  “The Fire Ferrets have informed me that Lin Beifong and her team will be joining us tomorrow, all thanks to your little broadcast.”

“Very nice, Ms. Sato.  Things look like they’ll be running smoothly.” The leader didn’t sound too pleased with her snippy remark but he let it slide.  Asami was invaluable to the team.  Amon picked up a nearby glove and slipped his hand inside.  Bringing it to his masked face, he took a closer look. “Why, may I ask, isn’t the newest model being used?”

“Do you really trust a bunch of imbeciles with gloves that could kill?” Asami asked without missing a beat. She never wanted to see those weapons again, let alone hand them out like candy to a bunch of laymen. She aimed for a revolution, not a slaughterhouse.  “Drunk with power, there’s no telling what people would do.  These will be more than sufficient to take out the security detail.”

Skeptically, eyes narrowed under a mask and even with her back turned Asami could feel them boring holes into her. Throwing the glove back into a vat of stale popcorn, Amon deemed her excuse reasonable.  “We have a lot riding on this.  We will not allow even the slightest error.   I trust you needn’t be reminded of how we take care of failures.”

“No.  I understand.  Satos do not make mistakes.”  

The threat didn’t sit well with Asami. She would’ve been irked if she weren’t so anxious.  The girl nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a strong grip on her shoulder. She grimaced as his grip increased.

“I _do_ hope your team will make it to the finals.  I’m sure the avatar would love the surprise I have in store for her.”

* * *

“Where have you been?” Mako asks incredulously. Asami didn’t even get the chance to say hi.  “The match starts in ten minutes and we haven’t seen you since last night!” 

Instead of responding, Asami counted to three.

_One._

Her temper was teetering on the edge. Sharp shark brows furrowed, undoubtedly waiting for an explanation.  Asami crossed her arms in defiance. 

_Two._

The team's constant presence was almost welcomed but when she had better things to do than check in with them like a child, it became more of a chore.  Mako started to rant about how he shouldn’t have to worry about his girlfriend and what she was doing, the importance of the game, their lives, something along the lines of being responsible.  She wouldn’t be able to tell you, she was too busy trying to distract herself.

_Three._

The team manager did her best to keep her cool with the constant chastisement but wasn’t going to stand around anymore. Just as she was about to snap, Bolin stepped in.  “Come on, Mako, give her a break.  She’s here now and with plenty of time.” 

_Lucky for you_ , Asami thought dryly.  A sudden hand on her shoulder made her wince.  She was not expecting to be greeted by Korra’s goofy grin. 

“I know, I know.”  He took a calming breath and his expressions warmed. The rowdy crowd’s cheering could be heard even through the thick locker room doors.  Ember eyes shone with sincerity.  “I just– I wanted my girlfriend to be here for this. It’s not every day that we win the championship, you know?  We miss you.  _I_ miss you.  And you’ve just seemed so distracted lately.  We were worried.”

Asami dared to glance at the others and her peeved look softened when realization dawned on her.  Their sympathetic looks told her that the firebender wasn’t the only one that felt that way.  Her boyfriend wasn’t being a possessive jerk; he was concerned.  He missed her, so did Bolin as well as Korra. The team wanted her around them.

Growing up alone and wealthy, Asami was not accustomed to people wanting her company, not unless somebody wanted something from her. These foolish kids wanted share their happiness and their success.  She was included in their little group and their team.  She was a part of something and people genuinely enjoyed her presence. It was something she hadn’t felt in earnest since she had lost her mother. 

She loathed how she wanted to be around them too.

It wasn’t just their company that had affected the Equalist. Her constant surveillance has made her see more than she ever wanted to.  The power and stability it takes to control the earth, the agility and precision in each burst of flame, the grace and flexibility it takes to move with water. Each had carefully plotted out moves which took years of training to master.  Asami could not deny that it was an art form in its own. All her life she had known bending to be nothing more than a weapon.  It was merely a suppressant, something that the powerful used to control the weak. 

Asami knew that Amon’s teachings weren’t completely in the wrong.  Bending continued to prove to be all those things on a daily basis.  But, she learned that it could be so much more than that too. It was beautiful. It could be used without malice. The way the brothers used their talents in sibling rivalry, not unlike how two non-benders would arm-wrestle. Korra used it for pranks and games. It could be was lighthearted and, dare she think it, fun.  It was also useful to the community.  It was impossible to deny that the lightning power plants and healing have improved their lives in a way they could never achieve without them.

The non-bender had never seen the other side of the coin until she met the three.  The unease that sat in the pit of her stomach all morning finally calmed. Seeing her friends, she knew that she had made the right decision. 

Hopeful eyes wore down her barriers and her shoulders slumped in resignation.  “I’m sorry, I know.  I’ve just been a bit busy with work and other things,” she fabricated as she leaned in for a hug. “I’ll try to be around more.”

Tension lifted as if it was never there and Mako wrapped his arms around her.  Before she could register any of it, the air was squeezed out of their lungs when another pair of strong arms encompassed them. 

“Bo, let go,” Mako wheezed as he tried to catch his breath.

“It’s just so beautiful,” Bolin sniffled with tears forming in his eyes.  “My beautiful baby brother and one of my best friends.”

“I’m not your baby brother, Bo.” Mako grumbled and squirmed.  He gave up with a sigh and let him hug it out.  There was clearly no way out.  

Asami laughed quietly to herself. She could barely move but honestly didn’t put much effort into it.  She gave Korra a weak smile and bright green eyes shone as she silently beckoned the girl over.  The waterbender laughed and leaned against the lockers. 

“No, thank you,” she politely declined.

“I know you want in,” Asami mumbled in Mako’s uniform. She would’ve extended her arm out in welcome but it was it was stuck between the boys. 

“I’m good, really.” Korra insisted with a hand up. The sight alone was more than enough to warm the girl’s heart and didn’t want Bolin to break her ribs minutes before the biggest game of her life.

“Nuh uh, you’re not getting away that easily,” Bolin called out.  He grabbed the collar of her uniform and tugged it harshly.  The strong body came tumbling straight into the three and they all let out a simultaneous ‘ooph’ when she collided with them.  Within no time, Bolin wrapped her up in Ferret burrito. Korra shook her head at Asami’s grin, knowing that she was wearing that smug smirk because she had got what she wanted.

“I love my family,” Bolin said with a dreamy sigh, clearly having no intention of letting go. 

“We’re not exactly the most conventional family,” Korra replied with a laugh.  She tried to turn to look at the youngest boy but failed miserably.  

“That’s fine, it’s not like we need conventions.”

Laughter filled the room but Asami just smiled quietly. Mako’s strong heartbeat pounded against her ear as they all shook with Bolin’s enthusiasm.  Asami freed her hand and shy fingers blindly fumbled around in search for the other girl’s wrist.  The two shared a private smile when Asami found her pulse.

Asami had never felt so alive.

* * *

The roar of the crowd flooded over the team the moment they stepped out of the locker room.  Loud hurrahs put a smile on all of their faces.  Seeing the packed stands, it was impossible to deny everyone’s happiness.  Smaller children sat upon their parent’s shoulders as the older fans were reinvigorated with energy. She spotted several of the diehard fans matching them in their uniforms and even went so far as setting their hair to match.  Korra may not have been the crowd’s favorite as the Avatar but at least she got the public’s vote in something.

Gears started turning and the platform is extended to the field.  While Bolin was busy basking in the glory and giving a show of his muscles, both Korra and Mako instantly search out one familiar face.  Siting in her usual spot, Asami waved before blowing a kiss.

Korra felt the world stand still and she couldn’t tear her gaze away.  Her heart was pounding and she had no response.  Should she send a kiss back?  Should she pretend she never saw it?  Why would she do that? What did it mean? Thoughts whizzed through her mind faster than you could say ‘flying fishopotamus’ but screeched to a halt when she caught Mako returning the gesture. 

_Of course_ , she thought as she rolled her eyes.  It wasn’t as if she expected Asami to do something like that when she had no reason to.  That would’ve been curious _even if_ she had known they were childhood best friends which, even after all of their adventures, Asami had given no inclination to. 

_Not after tonight_ , Korra promised herself.  She stretched once she got into position and put on her game face.

Even though Korra had wanted to see if Asami would ever remember on her own, she had enough of waiting.  It wasn’t even that big of a deal.  Knowing each other for a couple of weeks more than 10 years ago wasn’t a very significant amount of time.  She even didn’t even know if Asami would remember even after she told her, let alone want to be reminded that time of her life.  But she had decided. If they won the tournament, she’d tell Asami, and if not, she’d let it go. 

“Whoa!” Korra cried out loud.

Tahno’s jab came inches from her face. The match had started and she wasn’t ready for the cheap shot.  Before she could even get her footing, she was knocked back a zone by a whip of water. The opposing trio was a significantly more experienced than their past opponents and it showed within seconds. Their synchronization alone was something to envy.  The Fire Ferrets couldn’t get a single hit in, too busy taking blows and holding their ground.

Bolin and Mako worked in tandem to knock the Wolfbat’s firebender off to the side, finally managing a slight upper hand. The move didn’t sit well with the others though and they decided to pick it up a notch.  Clearly exceeding the water limit, Tahno sent a jet of water straight at Bolin’s chest, pushing him across the floor and over the edge. Unfair but not unexpected, the referees turned a blind eye and continued to ignore foul after foul.

Winning the match was going to be much more difficult than she had initially thought but that only heightened her determination. 

The Fire Ferrets had barely managed to scrape through to round two, finally earning a few seconds to breathe and regroup. Their offense would have to be faster and stronger if they wanted to keep up without resorting to dirty little tricks.  It turned into more of a survival match to hold out until the time was up. Managing to survive freezing water, excess disk usage, and headshots, they managed to tie round two.

“Bring it on, pretty boy,” Korra taunted as the two stepped on the platform for the round tie breaker.  She cracked her knuckles and stretched her neck. The tiebreaker was a contest between water and she knew she had it in the bag.  Korra had dealt with Tahno enough over the course of the tournament and this was the perfect opportunity to take him down a notch. As the chime still echoing in their ears, she hit him with a good ol’ one-two.  He didn’t have to speed to keep up with the avatar and his ever-present smug smile was washed clean off his face. 

Waving to the crowd, Korra not-so-humbly accepted all the cheers of praise and took bows of recognition.  Eyes desperately turned to one spot in the stands, hoping that she had impressed their team manager.  Her smile drained when she realized neither she nor the team’s sponsor were anywhere to be found.  Disappointed that Asami had missed her shining moment hit her hard but at least she was one step closer to winning the championship, one step closer to their reunion.

The bell rang and round three started, pushing all other thoughts out of Korra’s mind.  It was no surprise that the Wolfbats stepped up their game and it was evident that Tahno had no intention of letting the Fire Ferrets steal their win. Every single player threw the best they had out into the ring.  Every shot fired was avoided.  Bodies were bending over backwards, flipping out of the way, contorting into impossible positions. If someone couldn’t move out of the way in time, they took the hits.  

Although she’d hate to admit it, the Wolfbats would be admirable players, if they had only learned to play fair.

Korra held their place in zone one as the bending brothers offered support from zone three.  So far the round had been clean which lead to Korra letting her guard down. It was the biggest mistake in her short pro-bending career.  Crushed earthen disks in a high-speed stream of water took each of the Fire Ferrets down in a single move.  It wasn’t just being hit in the face that got Korra though, it was flying two zones back, straight into the icy water threw her body into a shock.  She didn’t have time to process the knockout, as she was too busy trying force her body to move. 

Once her body overcame the initial shock, she struggled to breath.  Her lungs burned when they filled with chlorinated water as she pushed her way to the surface. She was only got a few breaths in when she noticed the stands lighting up in bright blue light. The sound of the electricity popping in the air instantly told her that the security team had failed to hold up their of the deal.  They were undoubtedly under an Equalist attack. 

The Fire Ferret’s attention was pulled back to the ring when a figure appeared in front of them.  At the base, a single Equalist stood at the edge with a large electrified pole in tow.  The most terrifying thing about the Equalists’ mask wasn’t the pipes that jutted from the side or the eerie green glow of their goggles, it the lack of facial expression. A chill ran down Korra’s spine as eyes met and before she could react, the curved end was dipped into the water, sending a shock through the otherwise still water.  The whole team was knocked out in one strike.  The screams of her teammates were the last thing Korra heard.

* * *

Rope chafed her wrists as the avatar struggled to no avail. Tied to the base of the stadium, she could hear Amon’s words that burned through her.  He spoke of the start of a new era, a turning point in history, and they were all a part of it.  It was the talk of a revolution that she was supposed to be preventing.

“Some avatar,” Korra grunted as she threw her weight around. She heard Bolin’s clicking and did her best to ignore it.  A large explosion rang from above their heads and the three benders looked at each other in worry.  They knew that it only be a few moments before they were crushed beneath the ring.

Struggling was pointless.  Nothing was working.  The chaos scrambling around them wasn’t helping their situation either. Korra took a calming breath, making sure to keep a level head.  Nothing good would come from her losing her cool.  She closed her eyes and counted to five, making sure to keep her temper under control. 

Their patience paid off when Pabu had proved his worth. With no time for ‘thank you’s, Korra rushed out onto the water to assess the situation.   Amon was making his exit with more than a half a dozen Equalists. Korra knew that it was a fool’s errand to go after all of them by herself but there was no question about what needed to be done.  The rebellion would throw the city into chaos and she needed to nip it in the bud.  

Since airbending was out of the question, the only way she could think of catching up to him was with a rush of water. The air whizzing by was deafening as she closed in on the Equalists and just when she thought that she could feel them in her grasp, they were slipping away.  Her altitude was dropping quickly when she lost momentum.  Before she knew it, missing her window was no longer her biggest problem; falling to her death had bumped its way to the top.

Korra let out a pained grunt when thin wire wrapped around tightly her waist and was being propelled back into the air. Lin Beifong had saved her and gave her that extra boost to make it to the top.  Whipping around one of the rising platforms, she knocked a pair of Equalist back onto the roof but missed Amon by an inch.  She didn’t have much time to dwell on her loss when they decided to carry on with their assault. 

Six Equalists versus the avatar would’ve been a tough fight regardless but standing on the glass roof left her at an even greater disadvantage.  Over two hundred feet above ground, there was no access to earth or water, that, partnered with her lack of ability to bend air, she was limited to solely bending fire. The Chief of Police at her side had tipped the scale in their favor but that wasn’t enough. Defeating the lackeys wouldn’t stop the revolution.  They needed to get to Amon. 

Diving down from the retreating platforms came a familiar enemy.  Armed with her naginata, the same Equalist from the ring readied herself for a fight. Calm and collected, she gripped her weapon.  Seeing the sparks jumping from the tip sent a tingle down her spine as her body recalled its effect from moments ago. 

“I would’ve boarded the ship if I were you,” Korra taunted as she dashed toward her opponent. 

Korra threw a flame from her heel as she jumped over the taller woman, but nearly lost her balance when the tip of pole swiped at her landing spot. 

_She’s fast_ , Korra grimaced when the weapon made its way back around and nearly landed a blow to the side of her face.  The only way she seemed to be able to dodge the attacks was to keep out of range. Try as she might, she couldn’t get within five feet of the woman with her constant onslaught.

Burst after bust of fire was avoided with ease as the Equalist seemingly danced around her.  The two women found themselves at a stalemate when neither of them could get a hit in. Either they had to wait until one of them got lucky or run the other down until they ran out of stamina.   

Tired of the standstill, Korra took initiative and rushed forward at full speed.  She the distance between her and her opponent was shortened but as she got closer, she could hear another set of footsteps trailing behind her. Her attention was divided between the two.  Just as she was about to give up the attack, the extra footfalls were silenced when Lin Beifong caught them in her wire.  Without the distraction, she could stay focused on her new nemesis. 

“You take care of this, I’m going after Amon,” Beifong yelled.  Quickly throwing a metal whip to catch the platform, the Chief of Police hitched a ride to the blimp. 

“Just you and me now,” Korra stated, her words breathy. She was worn and slowing down but she was glad that she wasn’t the only one.  The bout was taking a visible toll on the Equalist as well. Her stance was now slouched as her shoulders bobbed with each heaved breath.  “Don’t tell me you’re tired already.”

With a grin, Korra charged.  She threw a few puffs of fire as a distraction, only to burst through the flames with a perfectly aimed kick.  Only, things didn’t go as she had planned. The Equalist had seen through her tactic and had taken the burn in order to keep a firm stance. Dropping her weapon, she took to grabbing Korra’s incoming ankle and swung her around, throwing her straight into the ground. 

Korra landed on her side with a loud thud. Her body cried in pain and she could barely move as the glass cracked beneath her.  The only trade off was that the non-bender’s uniform had burnt through to her skin, leaving her with a nasty burn.  That arm would be useless and she was finally disarmed.  The both were at new disadvantages.  

Bright blue eyes stared into the glowing goggles, desperate to find a soul within.  Her body screamed with the even the slightest of movements so she remained hunched on the ground. A moment passed between them when they had agreed to a silent truce, taking a minute to catch their breaths. Their minds scrambled, grabbing at straws for an idea to finally end the brawl once and for all.

Korra struggled to her feet when she saw the other girl reaching for her pole but the second she stood, the weapon was being thrown straight at her.  She wanted to let out a loud “HA!” when the weapon had flown right past her but the cracking of the glass got louder and faster.  Seconds felt like minutes and before she could register what was going on, Korra found herself falling backward back into the stadium.  Arms flailed about as the tried to grasp on to anything but they always came up empty.  Just mere yards before she would’ve met her end, she was offered a literal lifeline. Beifong had given up on her pursuit of Amon to save Korra and now the two were watching from below as the rebels made their escape.

* * *

Battered Equalists filed into the room, falling onto pristine white beds.  The clinical center smelled of astringent and the bright lights were blinding. Moans and groans were heard from all corners of the room as best doctors that money could buy treated the wounded. 

Taking all things into consideration, the Equalists had gotten out more or less unscathed.  Those sitting amongst the stands blended back into the chaos without recognition, insuring that no one was captured.  But, those that had accompanied Amon on his mission had suffered bit more injuries.  Several of the soldiers had cracked ribs and every single one of their bodies was littered with black and blue.  The standard form-fitting uniform was designed for speed and flexibility, but greatly lacked padding. Asami knew how to design uniforms and put many things in consideration.  The material meant to be flame-retardant, allowing them to fight without fear of getting burned, but there was clearly a limit. Asami had experienced it first hand.

Asami slumped down on a chair and rest her eyes. Her extreme exhaustion had taken its toll on her out in the field.  With ten years under her belt, the avatar should’ve gone down much more quickly than it had actually taken.  Not to mention, she didn’t get away unscathed.  What she wouldn’t have given for a healer at the moment. 

“You did well, Lieutenant,” Amon complimented. Asami gritted her teeth at her new title.  Amon was well aware of its affects and gladly continued to call her so.  “You know, it was a shame that the Fire Ferrets hadn’t won the championship.  It would’ve only made tonight’s message that much stronger.” 

“Tonight was quite the success, regardless.” Asami hissed out as she ripped the remaining of her left sleeve off to expose the scorched skin. The smell of burning flesh curled her stomach.  Her usually fair skin was red and blistering, the worst of it already threatening to pop. Twisting her arm, she experimented with how far she could stretch it, finding that her movements would be limited for at least the next week.

“I want you to find out who paid those judges off,” Amon ordered.  “A friend of our enemy is no friend of ours.”

“I’ll get on it as soon as possible,” Asami agreed with a sigh.  She busied herself to get out from under Amon’s scrutiny, staying focused on her wound. As soon as she was prescribed a salve to treat her skin, she left before she could receive any more orders.

Asami somehow managed to make her way back to the stadium. The bulk of the police force had cleared out for the night leaving just a few to keep out trespassers. The Equalist knew that she was in no condition to get into another battle and took extra precautions to slip in unnoticed.  The glow of her goggles was the only light in the darkened corridors. 

A burst of flame aimed at her head missed her by an inch and Asami switched to fight or flight.   There wasn’t much of a choice when another lit up the room.

_And of course_ , Asami thought bitterly to herself.  Korra stood at the center of the room, holding a glove that she had found in buried beneath dirty laundry.  Asami was too late.  She was to dispose of the weapons before anyone could lay their hands on them, but the avatar seemed to be one step ahead of her tonight. 

Kicking up a nearby broom, Asami snapped off the brush for a makeshift weapon.  The pointed ended trained at Korra as they circled each other.  The bender instantly realized whom she was facing.

“How’s your arm?” Korra asked complacently. She knew that it had to be a little more than tender from their last encounter. 

Asami would have loved to snipe back about how it was her who had won their little scuff, but she knew her voice would give her away instantly.  She settled for throwing her broom like a javelin instead. 

Though Korra was more than an able fighter, she was not used to dealing with weapons.  The pointed end was aimed at her stomach and all she could do was panic. She jumped out of the way and while she was catching her footing, she felt a few harsh jabs. The first came hit her in her inner elbow, followed by another on the opposite shoulder. 

The chi-blocking hits leveled the fighting ground. Both were exhausted in every sense of the word with no weapons or bending.  It was not to Asami’s surprise when Korra leaped head first in an assault. Her punches were a lot more controlled when she had last fought Korra in uniform and was starting to regret all their sparring practices. 

As always, Korra threw a mean southpaw and Asami was expecting it.  If anything, she was counting on it and ducked under it.  With a tight grip on her wrist, she used the weight and momentum from the punch to throw the smaller girl over her shoulder.  Korra blinked in confusion.  She was stunned and took a moment to get back to her feet. Deep blue eyes scrutinized the Equalist, waiting for her next move.  Something about the way she fought ate at her.

The two faced each other, neither moving from their spot.  Asami waited for Korra to make a move but none came.  It was unlike the avatar to not take the offense.  She would’ve taken more time to analyze the situation but her adrenaline was waning. 

“Naga!” Korra called.  Heavy feet thumped through the empty hall. With each pound, Asami recalled the swipe she suffered from before.  She was going to get torn apart if she couldn’t get out of there quickly.

Asami leapt forward, to take the girl down to the ground before her backup arrived.  Unprepared for the hit, Korra fell with a loud thud.  Her head was spinning but she knew it was her chance. Once the Equalist was in arms reach, her hands darted out to grab on to the mask.  Fingers brushed against the rough fabric of the scarf but opportunity slipped out of reach once Asami had realized what she was doing.

Naga quickly made her way to Korra’s side but just watched as the two wrestled on the ground.  “Naga, get her!”

The polar bear dog’s tail curled between her legs, wondering what she should do.  Walking in circles, she resigned, placing her head on the ground as she watched her master spar with the other girl. 

“Naga, now!”  Korra cried. Ears perked up and she got back to her feet.  Refusing to attack, she whined in her spot.  Sensing Korra’s urgency, she positioned herself between the two combatants and stared the Equalist down but nothing more.  Ears folded to her head as she heard Korra’s commands.  The most she could do was nudge the Equalist with her muzzle, causing her to fall over. 

The three were stupefied.  Asami knew that she could not take on the pair and was shocked when she wouldn’t take action.  Clearly, she wasn’t the only one.  Korra was near speechless.  Calling and ordering her loyal companion had no effect and Naga made no motion to move.

Taking the opportunity, Asami reached into her pocket and pulled out two small pellets.  She aimed in directly in front of Korra, knowing that as long as she could get away from her, Naga wouldn’t be a problem.  A smoke screen filled the room and she quickly made her escape.

Her racing heart didn’t still even hours after making it back to the manor.  Naga recognized her.  Naga knew that she, Amon’s new right hand man, was someone close to Korra.  If Korra and Naga had that weird master-pet relationship that had always crept her out, she would be exposed in no time.  The whole operation would be exposed and Amon would make sure there would be no loose ends.  She needed to think of a way to shift suspicion. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo... I also think I need a beta. And by "think" I mean "know." Sorry if things felt repetitive. I also wanted to add Asami figuring out who Korra was this chapter but it got long and messy so I had to cut it. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!


	9. Chapter 9

Air Temple Island was still. With the airbending family busying themselves with meditations, Korra was finishing her seventh lap around the island. She ran away, quite literally, from the end of the day meditation to take a moment to get away from her thoughts. Despite what Tenzin has insisted, sitting and stewing over things really wasn’t going to get her anywhere. Not that running was proving to be any better. 

 _It’s just a coincidence,_ she told herself. _You’re being an idiot._

Exhaustion was settling in and she felt her legs threaten to buckle beneath her. She only continued to push harder. The coolness of the night started to settle in and city lights took over the horizon. Korra slowed to a stop and fell straight into the ground. The warmth of the sand drained into the night air and it felt good against her clammy skin. An exhausted body slumped lower and lower until her cheek rested against the ground. Heavy eyes stared out to the horizon as she focused her attention on crashing waves. The clamor in her mind calmed as the serene ambience enveloped her completely. A soft patting could be heard as Naga made her way over.

“It wasn’t her, right, girl?” she asked. She avoided looking directly at the polar bear dog.  

Korra let out a groan when a strong nuzzle bumped her and rolled her over. Sand stuck to her body and coated her in a second skin. She hardly had the energy to look up but managed to give a sharp glare and spat out a mouthful of sand. Innocent eyes looked at her, expecting a reward for her actions. When she got none, Korra was presented with another nudge.

“Alright, alright!” Korra glared at her again and stood up. She could feel her knees start to give under her so she leaned against the mountain that was her best friend. “I’m telling you, it’s not her though.”

With a bit of encouragement from Naga’s nagging, Korra decided to head to the Sato manor to clear the air. Her hands twitched at her side as she nervousness settled in. Despite double backing a couple of times, she eventually was standing at the large metal gate.

If one ever wanted to feel tiny, all they needed to do was approach the Sato estate; the property stretched for what seemed like miles in every direction, including up. There was a slim chance you could make it to the door without getting turned away, but even standing at the entrance would dwarf even a beast like Naga.

That is exactly what it did to Korra. She felt small and insignificant. This, loaded with her apprehension about seeing Asami, twisted her stomach, turning it inside out. One step at a time, Korra dragged herself to her destination. From her last visit, she should’ve learned that unexpected visits weren’t particularly welcomed, but with a hop, a step, and a jump later, she climbed through the window of what she knew was Asami’s bedroom.

It was empty. There was no sign of the girl anywhere or even a trace that she had been in it at all that night. A lazy hand skimmed the top of the large vanity as she looked around. She shook her head with an amused smile at the makeup that sat tidily in a row. It bemused her how Asami could bother with it all. All of the money and time it took to learn something so complicated could be used toward something more practical like food or a cool belt or food.

Korra continued to scan the room, ending up at the large, wooden dresser in the corner. Small knick-knacks littered the top; a flier from the finals last night along with an iron-on badge of the Future Industries logo was placed next to a small figure of what looked to be the unagi. Down the line, she examined all the trinkets until her attention was drawn to the portrait that sat in the corner. 

Unlike the massive father/daughter painting that oversaw every movement in the hallway, the pocket-sized photo had seen better days. Before it had been framed, it had been folded and refolded countless times evidenced by the frayed creases and the yellowing along the boarder. Behind the glass held a memory of a distant past that had been revisited many a times, preserved so it could be visited many more.

With a single glance, any and all doubts that she had previously about Asami and her past were washed away with the sense of nostalgia. Long, wavy hair was pinned up as the elder Sato woman carried a tiny Asami in her arms. The resemblance between Yasuko and the Asami today was uncanny. Both had a smile that radiated warmth but not hot enough to burn away their soft features; it was refined but nonetheless genuine. It was something of a contrast to the unadulterated grin of the small child sitting in her lap.

Korra took one last look before placing it back in its original spot with a heavy heart. It was refreshing to see Mrs. Sato again. What she could remember of her was less of what she looked like and more of how she looked. The smile that she wore in the photo reminded brought memories rushing to the forefront of her mind. She recalled the way that she would greet the two when they would excitedly show her their latest find, her stern eyes whenever they found themselves causing trouble for the other kids, the warmth of welcoming arms after playing all day; every single memory she held proved what a loss her death was.

The ticking of the grandfather clock echoed through the hall and through her skull. Each tick made every second feel longer than the last. Korra knocked her feet back and forth in time as she sat on the wooden floor. Once the clock signaled that it was eight, she jumped up from her spot and headed out into the hall. Since the curfew forbidding any non-bender to be out was put into place, Korra figured that Asami had to be in the house.

 _Screw it,_ she thought to herself. She stepped into the hallway, wondering which way to explore.

Despite being in the manor on several occasions, Korra still didn’t have a firm grasp on the layout. She knew where the bathroom, kitchen, and annex were, but everything else was lost to her. She didn’t have many choices about where to search so decided to head to her favorite place: the kitchen. 

Thoughts of raiding the fridge caused a smile to creep on her face as footfalls pitter-pattered.   Korra knew that the fridge contained mostly unprepared food, waiting for someone to create a meal out of it, but if she were lucky she’d be able to find something with a little more substance than the leaves Pema had been feeding her. Good ol’ fashion red meat, the midnight snack of champions. Just the thought of it made her stomach growl so she quickened her pace. Grinning, she dashed down the halls.

Just as Korra turned the corner, the last stretch before her destination, she heard a familiar voice. She took an embarrassingly long pause before she changed course. Food was important, but she couldn’t forgo the reason she was there in the first place. The feeling in the pit of her stomach shifted from hunger to that of unease.

 _What if Asami really_ was _an Equalist?_                   

Voices became clearer and she was careful not to make her presence known.

“–and your arm, what if you had lost it?” a low voice spoken.

“But I didn’t,” Asami’s voice answered, unperturbed. “I’m fine and our message was received. I’d say that overall that it was a success.”

“Asami!” he boomed. Korra recoiled, pulling her ear from the door. “You are not to put yourself in the line of fire again.” The younger Equalist would’ve laughed at the wordplay but knew nothing good would come of that.

“So, what? Just sit back and watch others finish what I had started?”

“I will not have you go back out there!” The booming of his voice echoed in the hallowed halls. Silence followed. “If you will not stand down, I will have Amon remove you from the cause, completely.”

Korra stood in her spot, shell-shocked. It took a moment, but she eventually willed her feet to take her away before she was discovered. The continued argument became muffed as she slipped away and out the window she came from.

* * *

The week following the attack, both Asami and Hiroshi had their hands full running Future Industries. There was a sharp increase in sales with the fall of Cabbage Corp. Lau Gan-Lan was taken into police custody when speculation about manufacturing of Equalist weapons and supplies in their factories arose. After a thorough investigation, Future Industries also came under scrutiny.

The Sato family had gotten out scot-free with a well-formulated cover. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t had time to prepare and clean out their headquarters since it had been Asami that left the anonymous tip. It came at a cost of a few hundred electric gloves and a dozen or so bikes, but it was a small price to pay when it meant that they step out from under the spotlight.

A sense of serenity had finally returned around the Sato estate. The halls felt empty since most of its residents were too busy with their own matters. Hiroshi spent his time at the office rather than at home and Mako was making up for the loss of the championship pot by picking up more shifts at the power plant. Bolin came and went as he pleased. He often spent most of the day teaching Pabu a few tricks to pull in a little extra income, even if it were only a few yuans a day. Even Korra frequented less since Tarrlok’s task force kept her busy as they tore through the city, trying to clean up any signs of the rebellion. The small sense of normality reminded Asami of a time before she was thrown into this huge mess.

Asami took the day off to lounge in the library. Towers of bookshelves rose over her as she curled up into one of the armchairs. She pulled a worn blanket from the back of the chair and draped it over her shoulders. Even though it was slightly too warm to be comfortable, reading time would not be the same without it. The beams of sunlight that filtered through the large windows provided Asami with enough light to be at ease as she brought her knees to her chest and rested her chin atop.

 _“You said you’d read to me an hour ago!” Asami complained. A tiny hand guided Yasuko down the hallways with urgency. It was her favorite part of the day. Well, second favorite part of the day since the park had quickly worked its way to number one._

_“You know, if you had helped with the dishes, we could’ve started reading earlier,” Yasuko upbraided. Yet, she allowed herself to be guided to the small girl’s bedroom. There wasn’t much besides the bed and a desk. An armchair was squeezed in in the corner and Yasuko took her seat. Asami shuffled through her small collection of books and handed her their latest adventure. As Yasuko found their page, Asami wrapped herself up in her blanket and looked up at her with anticipation._

_Yasuko cleared her throat and smiled. “The princess was torn. What could she do now? There really was no other choice. Risking everything she believed in, she_ – _”_  

“What’chu reading?” Bolin asked curiously. Asami was startled out of her chair. She had fallen asleep in the middle of reading one of her favorite novels. Making sure to hide the title, she shoved her worn copy of _The Cave of Two Lovers_ beneath the blanket before making sure there was no trace of drool from her nap. She’d rather die than get caught with such a sappy romance novel.

“Just a little history about earthbending,” she said with a shrug. She tucked a small tuff of hair behind her ear as she collected herself.

“Oh, oh! Let me see!” Bolin cried excitedly as he motioned toward the book. Asami snatched it away and held it behind her back with a small laugh. He cocked his brow in suspicion and reached for it again.

“You won’t like it, trust me. It’s all technical stuff. It’s the mechanics of it all, really. It’s more of a non-bender take of it all.” Asami tried to bore Bolin out of the idea as she slowly tiptoed away from the boy.

“Hey, I might not be the brightest tool in the shed–” he paused. “No, that’s not right. Shiniest?” Bolin rubbed his chin.

“Sharpest.” Asami answered for him with a light laugh.

“Po-tay-to, po-tah-to,” Bolin brushed off. “Anyway, a buffing up on my earthbending studies couldn’t hurt.”

Asami eyed the outstretched hand and cocked an eyebrow at him. There were dozens of books in the library that he could learn from, yet he seemed adamant on getting this one from her. She didn’t budge. 

At a stalemate, Bolin resorted to playing dirty. Asami’s will waned at his indisputable puppy dog pout. How could she resist such a face? Droopy eyes and a pouty lip, it was almost heartbreaking. The book started slipping from her grip as her resolve faded.

“I don’t know, Bolin. If–” she started only to be interrupted.

“OH! Pai sho!” Bolin exclaimed with excitement when he caught a glimpse of the board in the corner of his eye. His attention was shifted to the new distraction and all those mushy feelings quickly dissipated.

Asami blinked in confusion, broken from the trance. With a small chuckle, she dismissed it and moved her gaze to the board that had not been touched in years. She and her father used to spend most of their free time playing, until the Equalist revolution took over their lives. After shaking her head to free her from nostalgia, Asami placed the book out of view, slipping it between the pillow and armrest, and moved to the board. 

There were two chairs around the table and the board still held its last match. She picked a worn tile, running her thumb over the smoothed crevices, before flipping it and snatching it out of the air. “Think you can take me?”

Not even a dozen moves into the game, Bolin started to get bored of the game. He picked at his nails while he waited for Asami to make her move. He had been pumped for a compelling game, but when he found that Asami was possibly the slowest player in pai sho history, his excitement quickly diminished. He wanted to call her out on it, but after losing three games, he felt that he had lost the right to. Now reaching their 8th game, Bolin was finding any way to distract the tactician. “You know, Mako thinks you’re mad at him.” 

Asami let out a hum as she placed her tile down and examined the board. She kept her finger on piece until she was sure of her move. With a small nod she released and looked back up at the teen. “And why is that?”

Before she could finish her sentence, it was her turn again. Bolin was clearly a creature of habit, not changing his ways even despite his losses.

“He thinks you’re avoiding him. Always complaining how he has to share the only time he gets with you with all of us. Blah, blah, blah.” Asami took a few moments to ponder her next move as Bolin continued. “I mean, I get it, but I personally just think that he’s overreacting.” There was a small pause. “I mean– he’s just overreacting, right?”

Warm laughter filled the room when Asami saw Bolin’s look of concern. She placed her tile in its spot and gave him a smile. “Yes, Bolin. He’s just overreacting.”

“I knew you still loved us!” Bolin laughed. Having more than enough of his fill of the game, pounced onto the girl to pull her into a tight hug. Asami came crashing out of her seat along with the board and all its soldiers. Neither of them particularly cared, both knowing who would’ve won anyway.

“Ahem,” Korra cleared her voice as she stood in the doorway. The ends of her lips twitched as she fought against a grin. “Am I interrupting something?”

The pair froze and turned to greet the new voice. Bolin had Asami in a headlock after she had ruffled his hair and she was struggling to free herself from his tight grip. “Nope, not at all. Care to join us?” Bolin offered and extended his other arm.

“I’m good,” Korra dismissed with a laugh and a wave. Worn from the week she’d been having, she lacked her normally high energy. “I was kind of hoping I could talk to Asami, though. Alone?”

Bolin and Asami looked at each other neither knowing what was going on. Bolin raised his brows in question only to get a shrug in response. Releasing Asami from his grip, Bolin pushed her in Korra’s direction with a sly wink. “She’s all yours.”

Asami glared back at him as she stumbled forward. Once she regained her footing, she flattened any stray hair strands and made a conscious effort to grab her book before they left. 

“You guys seem to be getting along well,” Korra started as they walked side-by-side down the hallway.

A loud commotion came from the back door as they heard Bolin tripping his way back to the annex. “SORRY! I’m so sorry!” he called out to no one in particular. “I’ll replace that!”

They paused, looked at each other, and let out a laugh. “Yeah, he’s great. It’s easy to relax around him. 

Korra frowned, wondering if that meant that it wasn’t the case for Mako and her. “You know, Mako thinks you’re avoiding him.”

“Ugh,” she groaned and rolled her eyes. Irritation seeped through to her words. “Why does everyone keep telling me that? It’s not like I don’t have other things to worry about in my life. I mean, he’s busy, I’m busy, why should I have to schedule my day around him?”

“Whoa, whoa. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that.” Korra held her hands up in surrender, signaling that she hadn’t meant to hit the obviously sour spot with the girl.

Asami placed her novel on a decorative table in the hall. She let out a sigh and turned her gaze away. Asami had grown up alone; even her friends were always kept at a distance. She wasn’t used to having to explain her actions or having to tell people her schedule. She was fairly new to this dating thing so it the fact that Mako was her boyfriend often slipped her mind. If she could, she would’ve just broken up with him so Korra could date him. Korra was true to her cause and wore her heart on her sleeve. Honest to a fault, almost brutally so, she would undoubtedly make a better girlfriend that Asami was.

The stiff silence dissipated as the pair made their way out to the garden. Asami took a deep breath as she soaked up the warmth of the sun. For the briefest of moments, she relaxed. It was a nice day out. The sky was clear with a few passing clouds and, paired with the cool breeze, it couldn’t have been better. The two walked beside each other, neither exactly sure of what to say. Asami took a seat under the shade of the giant gingko tree near the pond and made herself comfortable. When Korra didn’t follow suit, she looked up questioningly.

“Something on your mind?” she asked. Asami was not blind to Korra’s stolen and almost wary glances. It was unlike Korra to keep her distance as of late. After their little stint at the beach, an inkling of a friendship seemed to have begun budding. The uncertainty she felt pulled her back to when they had first met.  

“So, you’re not avoiding Mako.” Korra clarified after a brief pause. She loomed over the other girl, still refusing to take a seat. “Okay, I get that, but you’ve been avoiding me, haven’t you.” Korra asked in more of a statement than a question.

“What?” Asami asked, raising a brow. “No, of course not.”

The passing breeze sent a chill down her spine and she let out a shiver causing the girl to shift in her seat. It was boarding on paranoia, but the strategist’s mind already started planning escape routes. Eyes darted around, searching for the quickest escape; a force of habit that had saved her skin more than once.

“Asami, I know that–”

“Korra, look, I should go. I really need–” she rose from her spot and dusted off her pants with nonchalance and a light smile.

“We know that Cabbage Corp. was a scapegoat. Someone planted evidence on them.” Out of the corner of her eye, Korra saw the hiccup in Asami’s step.   She knew she had hit the nail on the head. “Tarrlok has interrogated majority of the workers and no one seemed to have any idea. The materials don’t match up with the stock in the factories. There isn’t enough power to generate such mass manufacture–”

“Korra, what are you getting at?

Ignoring the question, she kept going. Her voice continued to gain confidence and certainty. “The thing that has everyone stumped is how the Equalists could have gotten the equipment through the stadium security. There was no suspicious activity or persons to be found.”

“Korra–" 

“That was up until I made a sweep after everyone cleared out,” she continued without a hitch. “I ran into a single Equalist that came for cleanup duty. I have to admit, she was quite impressive. I was worried for a moment. I was almost beat, but I remembered I had a trick up my sleeve.” Solemn eyes focused on Asami’s near expressionless face. “Naga always has my back.”

Her body tensed when she realized that Korra had figured it out. The gears in her head set in motion and Asami took a step back. She circled around the girl until she was aligned with the nearest exit.

“Well, that’s what I thought, at least,” she added. “For the first time since I rescued her she didn’t step up to the job. You see, for some odd reason, she didn’t want to hurt the Equalist. In fact, she had only shown such strange behavior once before. But, the funny thing is, that it was the exact opposite reaction. Remember the first time I had spent the night here?”

Asami’s back smarted at the memory and she scanned the grounds for any sign of the beast. Sweaty palms were tempted to ball into a fist, yet she fought against it. She held onto the small thread of hope that she could find some way to talk her way out.  
  
“She’s not here,” Korra reassured her with exasperated sigh. Still, the Equalist could not relax. Sharp eyes bore into Korra’s, never once leaving her face. 

“I’m sure there has to be an explanation–”

“The evidence is damning!” Korra yelled. The spray from her mouth only reaffirmed her aggravation. She shifted her stiff jaw and took a breath; tears pooled in her eyes. Quick as a hawk, her hand darted out and gripped Asami’s wrist. She spared no time in yanking her sleeve up. A scorch mark tattooed itself on Asami’s forearm up to her elbow. The exact spot she had expected it to be. She had excepted yet hoped against.

Twisting her arm out of Korra’s grip, Asami maneuvered away and took a stance, waiting for her attack. Seconds passed yet none came. Asami had to take initiative. Knowing well that if Korra relayed any of the information back to the RCPD their whole operation would be blown. Not only that, but bringing her down would also raise suspicion with her father as well. They were too close to lose it all because of a stupid dog.

It was time for a change of plans. With a deep breath, Asami cleared her mind and charged forward. The Avatar stepped away and dodged her attacks. Each swing grew sloppier and continued to miss its mark. It took all of her concentration to keep her anxiety from throwing off her game. Thought of Korra blowing her cover and ruining everything overwhelmed her thoughts until finally a solid punch landed on the side of Korra’s jaw. The solid body stumbled back.

“I know you have more fight in you than that,” Asami taunted. “Hit me!”

Sorrowful eyes tore at Asami but still, no assault came. Asami let out a grown of frustration and threw another punch Korra’s way. A well timed sidestep saved the bender from another blow but she gave no other reaction.

“You still upset about the stadium thing? Because here’s your chance to get a little payback.” Her voice was wavered as she continued to goad her. She needed her to attack. She wouldn’t be able to take her down if she didn’t.

“I’m not going to hit you. I came to warn you.”

“Warn me?” She asked with sad laugh. “Have you forgotten that I tried to kill you?" 

The equalist wasn’t going to drop her guard, no matter what Korra had to offer. She didn’t understand the game that Korra was playing at. Korra held vital information to take down the revolution, but she still came to her first. There was enough evidence to warrant a search of the manor that would lead to the immediate shut down of Future Industries yet she didn’t take it to the authorities. Her voice dropped but never her arms. Green eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Why are you telling me this all of this?”

“You have put yourself in a risky position, Asami. You’re going to be in a lot of danger. I just don’t want to anything bad to happen to you.”

“You can’t actually believe that we’re friends.” Asami’s voiced cracked but she continued anyway. “I knew who you were when this all started. Can’t you see? I’ve been using you. I’ve been using you and Mako and Bolin.”

Korra had wished against wishes that it was all a joke, but she had figured so much. Looking at the desperation in her eyes, she searched for a clue, for anything to tell her it wasn’t so. She was afraid to hear how unstable her voice had become but spoke up. “I don’t believe you.”

“Don’t be daft. Why else would I even bother with the lot of you?” Asami spat. Eyes narrowed as they started to water. “What _else_ could you offer me?”

Each word stung worse than a buzzard wasp. She would have rather have gotten stunned by an Equalist glove a hundred times over than have that been the case. But, there was a slight tremble in Asami’s voice. It betrayed her words and Korra was not convinced. A small glint of hope nestled in her chest. She held on tightly.

“Why are you lying?!” Korra challenged.

Asami continued to circle her, slowly pushing her back. The punches had stopped when she realized that it wasn’t going anywhere. She came at her with a new angle. Arms gestured to the space around her. “What could two vagabond teens and a half-baked Avatar have to offer that I could possibly want?”

Words hit harder than any of her training had prepared her for. She finally decided to punch back. “Stop hiding behind your wealth and status, Asami. Let’s see what you really have.” She took a step forward, Asami took one back in unison.   “A father that works all day, a house too big for comfort, a staff you _pay_ to be around you. You’re too prideful to admit it. You’re lonely.”

To Korra’s surprise, the woman took a step forward instead of back. Instead of a punch, a slap burned across her cheek. Asami grabbed the collar of her shirt, nearly choking her as she was pulled closer.

“Don’t speak to me as if you know me.”

“What’s wrong?” Korra shifted her jaw, soothing the sting. “I know you better than you thought?”

There was no response. Narrowed eyes stared down at her and the grip on her shirt tightened. Asami’s shallow breath slowed as she regained her composure.

“Asami–”

“Enough.” Asami pushed Korra back up against the tree behind her and took a step back. “Here’s your chance. I have no more tricks up my sleeve.”

“Asami, I’m not going to fight–”

Korra’s sentence was cut short with a fist straight to her already stinging cheek. Anger started building within the Equalist again. She hated how benders always felt they were above them. She threw another punch, just grazing her shoulder as Korra moved away.

“Fight back.”

Korra made no attempts to even move as she took the hit aimed at her collarbone. An array of emotions flitted across Asami’s face and she knew that determination, and determination alone, was what was driving Asami forward at that point. Another punch came her way but held significantly less force, as did the next. She could feel the trail of blood trickling down from the corner of her split lip. Still, she did nothing to counter.

“I promised,” Korra kept Asami’s gaze and wore a solemn smile. She lifted her hands and Asami didn’t bother to take a step back.

Relieved that Korra was going to put up a fight, Asami welcomed the first punch. Only, it never came. Calloused hands reached to cup her cheeks and awkward thumbs attempted to wipe away fallen tears. Asami’s trembling hands moved to remove them from her face and wrapped loosely around Korra’s wrists. Thumbs rubbed desperately against her pulse point. Asami needed her anchor.

“I promised I would protect you.” The strong heartbeat pounded steadily.

“What?” Asami asked and her face warped confusion. “What are you even–”

“And besides, how could anyone hit someone as snazzy as you?”

Asami froze in disbelief. She dropped the other girl’s hands as years of pent up emotions boiled to the surface. Her fist shook as she tried to control it but it ended up controlling her. Breaking point.

“It _was_ you,” Asami spat with disdain through gritted teeth. That was the last thing Korra could recall before Asami nailed her right in the nose. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. A huge thank you to all of you that continue to read this and those that are just finding this story now. Here's a short chapter that I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you guys think. :]
> 
> Shout out to tumblr user @baron-von-fancy for looking this over, also to all those that messaged me about being a beta. You guys seriously rock.


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